First 100 days of Trump

DAY 97 / APR 26: Trump unveils a one-page plan proposing deep U.S. tax cuts, many for businesses, that would make the federal deficit balloon if enacted, drawing a cautious welcome from fiscal conservatives and financial markets.
In the plan,...more

Reuters /
Thursday, April 27, 2017

DAY 97 / APR 26: Trump unveils a one-page plan proposing deep U.S. tax cuts, many for businesses, that would make the federal deficit balloon if enacted, drawing a cautious welcome from fiscal conservatives and financial markets.
In the plan, unveiled by economic adviser Gary Cohn and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, Trump proposed cutting to 15 percent both the income tax rate paid by public corporations and that paid by "pass-through" businesses, including partnerships, S corporations and sole proprietorships.
REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Close

1 / 97

DAY 96 / APRIL 25: Former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn likely broke the law by failing to get permission to be paid for a trip to Russia in 2015, the leaders of a House of Representatives committee said.
During the visit,...more

Reuters /
Tuesday, February 14, 2017

DAY 96 / APRIL 25: Former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn likely broke the law by failing to get permission to be paid for a trip to Russia in 2015, the leaders of a House of Representatives committee said.
During the visit, Flynn, a retired lieutenant general who advised Donald Trump's presidential campaign, dined with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"General Flynn had a duty and an obligation to seek and obtain permission to receive money from foreign governments," Jason Chaffetz, the Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee, told reporters. "It does not appear to us that that was ever sought, nor did he ever get that permission."
The oversight panel is looking into whether Flynn fully disclosed payments from Russian, Turkish or other foreign sources.
"As a former military officer, you simply cannot take money from Russia, Turkey or anybody else. And it appears as if he did take that money. It was inappropriate and there are repercussions for the violation of law," Chaffetz said.
Flynn was forced to resign on Feb. 13 for failing to disclose talks with Sergei Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the United States, about U.S. sanctions on Moscow and misleading Vice President Mike Pence about the conversations, which occurred in December before Trump took office.
He is a subject in investigations by intelligence committees in the House and Senate, as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, into allegations Russia meddled in the 2016 U.S. election. Russia has denied the allegations, which have cast a shadow over the first 100 days of Trump's presidency.
REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Close

2 / 97

DAY 95 / APRIL 24: President Donald Trump pressed Democrats to include funds for his promised border wall with Mexico in spending legislation as lawmakers worked to avoid a looming shutdown of the federal government.
The White House has offered to...more

Reuters /
Monday, November 07, 2016

DAY 95 / APRIL 24: President Donald Trump pressed Democrats to include funds for his promised border wall with Mexico in spending legislation as lawmakers worked to avoid a looming shutdown of the federal government.
The White House has offered to include $7 billion in Obamacare subsidies that allow low-income people to pay for healthcare insurance in exchange for Democratic backing of $1.5 billion in funding to begin construction of a barrier on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Republicans control both chambers of Congress, but a White House-backed bill to gut former President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare, failed to gather full party support and imploded last month.
Congressional leaders will likely have to decide by late on April 25 whether negotiations are progressing enough to try to pass a spending bill funding the government through September, Senator Roy Blunt, a member of the Republican leadership and Senate Appropriations Committee, told reporters.
If negotiations have slowed or stalled, Congress could pursue a short-term extension of existing spending levels to avoid parts of the federal government shutting down at 12:01 a.m. (0401 GMT) on April 29, giving lawmakers more time to reach a deal. Leading Democrats have said they would support such a measure only if talks are progressing.
REUTERS/Mike Blake

Close

3 / 97

DAY 94 / APRIL 23: North Korea said it was ready to sink a U.S. aircraft carrier to demonstrate its military might, in the latest sign of rising tension as President Donald Trump prepared to call the leaders of China and Japan.
The United States...more

Reuters /
Wednesday, April 19, 2017

DAY 94 / APRIL 23: North Korea said it was ready to sink a U.S. aircraft carrier to demonstrate its military might, in the latest sign of rising tension as President Donald Trump prepared to call the leaders of China and Japan.
The United States ordered the USS Carl Vinson carrier strike group to sail to waters off the Korean peninsula in response to mounting concern over the North's nuclear and missile tests, and its threats to attack the United States and its Asian allies.
The U.S. government has not specified where the carrier strike group is as it approaches the area. Vice President Mike Pence said it would arrive "within days," but gave no other details.
North Korea remained defiant.
Donald Trump criticized North Korea's "continued belligerence" and said its actions were destabilizing in a telephone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the White House said.
The leaders agreed on the urgency of the threat posed by the North's missile and nuclear programs and committed to coordinate their efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, it said in a statement on Monday.
Sean M. Castellano/Courtesy U.S. Navy/Handout via REUTERS

Close

4 / 97

DAY 93 / APRIL 22: Vice President Mike Pence said the United States would honor a controversial refugee deal with Australia, under which the United States would resettle up to 1,250 asylum seekers, a deal President Donald Trump had described as...more

Reuters /
Saturday, April 22, 2017

DAY 93 / APRIL 22: Vice President Mike Pence said the United States would honor a controversial refugee deal with Australia, under which the United States would resettle up to 1,250 asylum seekers, a deal President Donald Trump had described as "dumb".
Pence told a joint news conference with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull that the deal would be subject to vetting, and that honoring it "doesn't mean that we admire the agreement".
"We will honor this agreement out of respect to this enormously important alliance," Pence said at Turnbull's harbor side official residence in Sydney.
Australia is one of Washington's staunchest allies and has sent troops to fight alongside the U.S. military in conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Under the deal, agreed with former President Barack Obama late last year, the United States would resettle up to 1,250 asylum seekers held in offshore processing camps on South Pacific islands in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Nauru.
In return, Australia would resettle refugees from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.
The White House has already said it would apply "extreme vetting" to those asylum seekers held in the Australian processing centers seeking resettlement in the United States. REUTERS/Jason Reed

Close

5 / 97

DAY 92 / APRIL 21: President Donald Trump ordered the Treasury Department to examine two powers given to regulators to police large financial companies following the 2008 financial crisis, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said.
In his first visit...more

Reuters /
Saturday, April 22, 2017

DAY 92 / APRIL 21: President Donald Trump ordered the Treasury Department to examine two powers given to regulators to police large financial companies following the 2008 financial crisis, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said.
In his first visit to the Treasury building, Trump signed two memos that analysts view as largely affirming existing priorities he has outlined.
One temporarily bars regulators from identifying new non-bank financial institutions as "systemically important financial institutions,� or SIFIs, while also ordering a review of this process, Mnuchin said in a briefing with reporters.
SIFIs face added regulatory oversight and must hold more capital as a buffer against losses to safeguard against risk to the financial system.
The other memo directs regulators to temporarily halt the use of "orderly liquidation authority" to dissolve troubled financial institutions unless the president directs it in an emergency. Trump will order a review of this as well, Mnuchin said.
The memo directs the Treasury to review the authority for 180 days, focusing on whether it exposes taxpayers to losses and encourages companies to take on more risk, or whether a revamped bankruptcy process would be preferable.
Critics, including Republicans in Congress, argue the authority effectively gives some firms "too big to fail" status, which could encourage them to take on more risk and necessitate government intervention if they fail.
REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein

Close

6 / 97

DAY 91 / APRIL 20: President Donald Trump praised Chinese efforts to rein in "the menace of North Korea" after North Korean state media warned the United States of a "super-mighty preemptive strike."
Trump told a news conference "some very unusual...more

Reuters /
Monday, April 17, 2017

DAY 91 / APRIL 20: President Donald Trump praised Chinese efforts to rein in "the menace of North Korea" after North Korean state media warned the United States of a "super-mighty preemptive strike."
Trump told a news conference "some very unusual moves have been made over the last two or three hours," and that he was confident Chinese President Xi Jinping would "try very hard" to pressure Beijing's ally and neighbor North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs.
While Trump gave no indication of what the moves might be, U.S. officials told Reuters that the United States was aware of a higher-than-usual level of activity by Chinese bombers, signaling a possible heightened state of readiness. The officials played down concerns and left open a range of possible reasons.
Those possibilities included defensive exercises or Chinese concerns over North Korea. None of the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, suggested alarm or signaled that they knew the precise reason for such Chinese activity.
U.S. officials have been saying for weeks that North Korea could soon stage another nuclear bomb test, something both the United States and China have both warned against.
REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

Close

7 / 97

DAY 90 / APRIL 19: A Russian government think tank controlled by Vladimir Putin developed a plan to swing the 2016 U.S. presidential election to Donald Trump and undermine voters' faith in the American electoral system, three current and four former...more

Reuters /
Wednesday, April 05, 2017

DAY 90 / APRIL 19: A Russian government think tank controlled by Vladimir Putin developed a plan to swing the 2016 U.S. presidential election to Donald Trump and undermine voters' faith in the American electoral system, three current and four former U.S. officials told Reuters.
They described two confidential documents from the think tank as providing the framework and rationale for what U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded was an intensive effort by Russia to interfere with the Nov. 8 election. U.S. intelligence officials acquired the documents, which were prepared by the Moscow-based Russian Institute for Strategic Studies, after the election.
The first Russian institute document was a strategy paper written last June that circulated at the highest levels of the Russian government but was not addressed to any specific individuals.
It recommended the Kremlin launch a propaganda campaign on social media and Russian state-backed global news outlets to encourage U.S. voters to elect a president who would take a softer line toward Russia than the administration of then-President Barack Obama, the seven officials said.
A second institute document, drafted in October and distributed in the same way, warned that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was likely to win the election. For that reason, it argued, it was better for Russia to end its pro-Trump propaganda and instead intensify its messaging about voter fraud to undermine the U.S. electoral system's legitimacy and damage Clinton's reputation in an effort to undermine her presidency, the seven officials said.
The current and former U.S. officials spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the Russian documents' classified status. They declined to discuss how the United States obtained them. U.S. intelligence agencies also declined to comment on them. REUTERS/Pavel Golovkin/Pool

Close

8 / 97

DAY 89 / APRIL 18: President Donald Trump ordered a review of the U.S. visa program for bringing high-skilled foreign workers into the country, putting technology firms and the outsourcing companies that serve them on notice that possible changes may...more

Reuters /
Wednesday, April 19, 2017

DAY 89 / APRIL 18: President Donald Trump ordered a review of the U.S. visa program for bringing high-skilled foreign workers into the country, putting technology firms and the outsourcing companies that serve them on notice that possible changes may be ahead.
Seeking to carry out a campaign pledge to put "America First," Trump signed an executive order on the H-1B visa program. It was vague on many fronts, but in a press briefing and a fact sheet the White House pointed toward basic goals.
One objective, said Trump aides, is to modify or replace the current lottery for H-1B visas with a merit-based system that would restrict the visas to highly skilled workers. Indian nationals are the largest group of H-1B recipients annually.
In addition to addressing the visas issue, he also ordered a government review of government procurement rules favoring American companies to see if they are actually benefiting, especially the U.S. steel industry.
"With this action, we are sending a powerful signal to the world: We're going to defend our workers, protect our jobs and finally put America first," Trump said. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Close

9 / 97

DAY 88 / APRIL 17: Vice President Mike Pence warned North Korea that recent American military strikes in Syria and Afghanistan showed President Donald Trump's resolve should not be questioned, but Pyongyang vowed to continue missile and nuclear...more

Reuters /
Monday, April 17, 2017

DAY 88 / APRIL 17: Vice President Mike Pence warned North Korea that recent American military strikes in Syria and Afghanistan showed President Donald Trump's resolve should not be questioned, but Pyongyang vowed to continue missile and nuclear tests.
After a huge display of missiles in Pyongyang and a failed North Korean missile test during the weekend, U.S. officials praised China for stepping up efforts to rein in North Korea, Beijing's neighbor and ally.
But Pence and South Korea's acting president, Hwang Kyo-ahn, said they would proceed with the early deployment to South Korea of the U.S. THAAD missile-defense system, in spite of Chinese objections.
At a White House Easter celebration, Trump was asked if he had a message for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and replied: "Gotta behave." REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

Close

10 / 97

DAY 87 / APRIL 16: President Donald Trump's national security adviser met Afghan officials in Kabul and said the new administration was weighing diplomatic, military and economic responses to its Taliban and Islamic State enemies in Afghanistan.
The...more

Reuters /
Sunday, April 16, 2017

DAY 87 / APRIL 16: President Donald Trump's national security adviser met Afghan officials in Kabul and said the new administration was weighing diplomatic, military and economic responses to its Taliban and Islamic State enemies in Afghanistan.
The adviser, H.R. McMaster, was making the first high-level visit by a Trump official. He spoke to ABC News' "This Week" program in the United States.
On April 13, the U.S. military dropped a GBU-43 Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, one of the largest conventional weapons ever used in combat, during an operation against Islamic State militants in eastern Afghanistan.
While military officials said the strike was based solely on tactical needs, it led to speculation that Trump's defense advisers are planning to escalate the war against militants in Afghanistan.
Interviewed from Afghanistan, McMaster said the United States had a more reliable Afghan partner than before but at the same time had reduced the degree and scope of its effort in that country.
"Our enemy sensed that and they have redoubled their efforts and it's time for us, alongside our Afghan partners, to respond," he said. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Close

11 / 97

DAY 86 / April 15: North Korea displayed what appeared to be new long-range and submarine-based missiles on the 105th birth anniversary of its founding father, Kim Il Sung, as a nuclear-powered U.S. aircraft carrier group steamed towards the...more

Reuters /
Saturday, April 15, 2017

DAY 86 / April 15: North Korea displayed what appeared to be new long-range and submarine-based missiles on the 105th birth anniversary of its founding father, Kim Il Sung, as a nuclear-powered U.S. aircraft carrier group steamed towards the region.
Missiles appeared to be the main theme of a giant military parade, with Kim's grandson, leader Kim Jong Un, taking time to greet the commander of the Strategic Forces, the branch that oversees the missile arsenal.
A U.S. Navy attack on a Syrian airfield this month with Tomahawk missiles raised questions about U.S. President Donald Trump's plans for reclusive North Korea, which has conducted several missile and nuclear tests in defiance of U.N. sanctions, regularly threatening to destroy the United States.
Unlike at some previous parades attended by Kim, there did not appear to be a senior Chinese official in attendance. China is North Korea's lone major ally but has spoken out against its missile and nuclear tests and has supported U.N. sanctions. China on April 14 again called for talks to defuse the crisis.
Weapons analysts said they believed some of the missiles on display were new types of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM). REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

Close

12 / 97

DAY 85 / APRIL 14: The Trump administration will not make public White House visitor logs, the records that detail who has visited President Donald Trump and his staff on official business, his office confirmed, in a departure from a practice that...more

Reuters /
Thursday, March 02, 2017

DAY 85 / APRIL 14: The Trump administration will not make public White House visitor logs, the records that detail who has visited President Donald Trump and his staff on official business, his office confirmed, in a departure from a practice that was established under former President Barack Obama.
White House Communications Director Michael Dubke said in a statement that "the grave national security risks and privacy concerns of the hundreds of thousands of visitors annually" was the reason for keeping the records secret.
Transparency advocates had praised Obama's decision to release the logs, although his administration argued the disclosure was not required by law but instead was voluntary. As a result, Obama's team frequently redacted names from the list of visitors that were released to the public, including celebrities and donors who were sighted on the White House grounds.
The logs offer the most comprehensive look at who has access to the president and his team. Examining the logs provides insight into which interests are lobbying the White House and who may have more influence in the administration. Trump has continued the Obama policy of not allowing administration staffers to become lobbyists after leaving their government job, a rule that carries no enforcement mechanism and that they have already waived for one staffer. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Close

13 / 97

DAY 84 / APRIL 13: The United States dropped "the mother of all bombs," the largest non-nuclear device it has ever unleashed in combat, on a network of caves and tunnels used by Islamic State in eastern Afghanistan the military said.
President...more

Reuters /
Friday, April 14, 2017

DAY 84 / APRIL 13: The United States dropped "the mother of all bombs," the largest non-nuclear device it has ever unleashed in combat, on a network of caves and tunnels used by Islamic State in eastern Afghanistan the military said.
President Donald Trump touted the bombing as evidence of a more muscular U.S. foreign policy since he took office in January after eight years of President Barack Obama.
The 21,600 pound (9,797 kg) GBU-43 bomb was dropped from a MC-130 aircraft in the Achin district of Nangarhar province, close to the border with Pakistan, Pentagon spokesman Adam Stump said.
The GBU-43, also known as the "mother of all bombs," is a GPS-guided munition and was first tested in March 2003. It is regarded as particularly effective against clusters of targets on or just underneath the ground.
It was the first time the United States has used this size of conventional bomb in a conflict.
Trump described the bombing as a "very successful mission." It was not immediately clear how much damage the device did. Elgin Air Force Base/Handout via REUTERS

Close

14 / 97

DAY 83 / APRIL 12: Russian President Vladimir Putin said trust had eroded between the United States and Russia under President Donald Trump as Moscow delivered an unusually hostile reception to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in a face-off over...more

Reuters /
Wednesday, April 12, 2017

DAY 83 / APRIL 12: Russian President Vladimir Putin said trust had eroded between the United States and Russia under President Donald Trump as Moscow delivered an unusually hostile reception to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in a face-off over Syria.
Any hope in Russia that the Trump administration would herald less confrontational relations has been dashed in the past week after the new U.S. leader fired missiles at Syria to punish Moscow's ally for its suspected use of poison gas.
In Washington, Trump said the United States was not getting along "at all" with Moscow, adding that the relationship "may be at an all-time low."
Trump had frequently called during the 2016 U.S. presidential election campaign for warmer ties with Putin, despite criticism from lawmakers in his own Republican Party.
But the civil war in Syria has driven a wedge between Moscow and Washington, upending what many in Russia hoped would be a transformation in relations, which reached a post-Cold War low under Trump's predecessor Barack Obama. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin

Close

15 / 97

DAY 82 / APRIL 11: White House spokesman Sean Spicer triggered an uproar by saying Adolf Hitler did not use chemical weapons. He apologized after his comments drew immediate criticism on social media and elsewhere for overlooking the fact that...more

Reuters /
Wednesday, April 12, 2017

DAY 82 / APRIL 11: White House spokesman Sean Spicer triggered an uproar by saying Adolf Hitler did not use chemical weapons. He apologized after his comments drew immediate criticism on social media and elsewhere for overlooking the fact that millions of Jews were killed in Nazi gas chambers.
Spicer made the assertion at a daily news briefing, during a discussion about the April 4 chemical weapons attack in Syria that killed 87 people. Washington has blamed the attack on the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
"You had someone as despicable as Hitler who didn't even sink to using chemical weapons," Spicer said when asked about Russia's alliance with the Syrian government.
The Nazis murdered six million Jews during World War Two. Many Jews as well as others were killed in gas chambers in European concentration camps.
When a reporter asked Spicer if he wanted to clarify his comments, he said: "I think when you come to sarin gas, there was no, he was not using the gas on his own people the same way that Assad is doing."
Later on Tuesday, Spicer apologized and said he should not have made that comparison. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

Close

16 / 97

DAY 81 / APRIL 10: Donald Trump reveled in the biggest political victory of his presidency at a White House ceremony in which his Supreme Court pick Neil Gorsuch was sworn in, poised to make an instant impact on a court once again dominated by...more

Reuters /
Monday, April 10, 2017

DAY 81 / APRIL 10: Donald Trump reveled in the biggest political victory of his presidency at a White House ceremony in which his Supreme Court pick Neil Gorsuch was sworn in, poised to make an instant impact on a court once again dominated by conservatives.
Trump was able to fulfill a top campaign promise when the Republican-led U.S. Senate voted to confirm the conservative Colorado-based federal appeals court judge to the lifetime job on Friday despite vehement Democratic opposition.
With Gorsuch aboard, the court has five conservative justices and four liberals, a majority that could be pivotal in deciding a range of issues including abortion, gun control, the death penalty, presidential powers, political spending, environmental regulation and religious rights.
Trump made a point of thanking Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for his role in winning confirmation. McConnell last week led the effort to change long-standing Senate rules in order to end a Democratic blockade of Gorsuch's nomination. Under McConnell's leadership, the Senate last year refused to consider Democratic former President Barack Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland to replace Scalia, an appointment that would have tilted the court to the left for the first time in decades.
REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Close

17 / 97

DAY 80 / APRIL 9: A U.S. Navy strike group will be moving toward the western Pacific Ocean near the Korean peninsula as a show of force, a U.S. official told Reuters, as concerns grow about North Korea's advancing weapons program.
Earlier this month...more

Reuters /
Sunday, April 09, 2017

DAY 80 / APRIL 9: A U.S. Navy strike group will be moving toward the western Pacific Ocean near the Korean peninsula as a show of force, a U.S. official told Reuters, as concerns grow about North Korea's advancing weapons program.
Earlier this month North Korea tested a liquid-fueled Scud missile which only traveled a fraction of its range.
The strike group, called Carl Vinson, includes an aircraft carrier and will make its way from Singapore toward the Korean peninsula, according to the official, who was not authorized to speak to the media and requested anonymity.
"We feel the increased presence is necessary," the official said, citing North Korea's worrisome behavior. U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Tom Tonthat/Handout via Reuters

Close

18 / 97

DAY 79 / APRIL 8: Top White House aides Steve Bannon and Jared Kushner met and agreed to "bury the hatchet" over their differences, a senior administration official said, in a bid to stop infighting that has distracted from President Donald Trump's...more

Reuters /
Friday, December 02, 2016

DAY 79 / APRIL 8: Top White House aides Steve Bannon and Jared Kushner met and agreed to "bury the hatchet" over their differences, a senior administration official said, in a bid to stop infighting that has distracted from President Donald Trump's message.
Bannon, Trump's chief strategist, and Kushner, an influential adviser and Trump's son-in-law, met at the request of White House chief of staff Reince Priebus who told them that if they have any policy differences, they should air them internally, the official said.
The development at the president's Mar-a-Lago retreat in Palm Beach, Florida, came at the end of what has been a relatively smooth week for Trump.
Priebus' message to Bannon and Kushner was to "stop with the palace intrigue" and focus on the president's agenda, the official told Reuters.
Both aides left having agreed that it was time to "bury the hatchet and move forward," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
REUTERS/Mike Segar

Close

19 / 97

DAY 78 / APRIL 7: Russia warned that U.S. cruise missile strikes on a Syrian air base could have "extremely serious" consequences, as President Donald Trump's first major foray into a foreign conflict opened up a rift between Moscow and...more

Reuters /
Saturday, April 08, 2017

DAY 78 / APRIL 7: Russia warned that U.S. cruise missile strikes on a Syrian air base could have "extremely serious" consequences, as President Donald Trump's first major foray into a foreign conflict opened up a rift between Moscow and Washington.
The warships USS Porter and USS Ross in the Mediterranean Sea launched dozens of Tomahawk missiles at the Shayrat air base, which the Pentagon says was involved in a chemical weapons attack this week.
It was Trump's biggest foreign policy decision since taking office in January and the kind of direct intervention in Syria's 6-year-old civil war his predecessor Barack Obama avoided.
The strikes were in reaction to what Washington says was a poison gas attack by the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that killed at least 70 people in rebel-held territory.
They catapulted Washington into confrontation with Russia, which has advisers on the ground aiding its close ally Assad.
"We strongly condemn the illegitimate actions by the U.S. The consequences of this for regional and international stability could be extremely serious," Russia's deputy U.N. envoy, Vladimir Safronkov, told a meeting of the U.N. Security Council.
DigitalGlobe/Courtesy U.S. Department of Defense/Handout via REUTERS

Close

20 / 97

DAY 77 / APRIL 6: President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met face-to-face for the first time spending some social time together with their wives before digging in to the thorny trade and security issues that bedevil the relationship...more

Reuters /
Friday, April 07, 2017

DAY 77 / APRIL 6: President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met face-to-face for the first time spending some social time together with their wives before digging in to the thorny trade and security issues that bedevil the relationship between the world's two largest economies.
Trump said he wants to raise concerns about China's trade practices and urge Xi to do more to rein in North Korea's nuclear ambitions in the talks, though no major deals on either issue were expected.
Trump promised during the 2016 presidential campaign to stop what he called the theft of American jobs by China and rebuild the country's manufacturing base. Many blue-collar workers helped propel him to his unexpected election victory on Nov. 8 and Trump wants to deliver for them.
REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Close

21 / 97

DAY 76 / APRIL 5: President Donald Trump removed his chief strategist Steve Bannon from the National Security Council, reversing his controversial decision early this year to give a political adviser an unprecedented role in security...more

Reuters /
Thursday, March 16, 2017

DAY 76 / APRIL 5: President Donald Trump removed his chief strategist Steve Bannon from the National Security Council, reversing his controversial decision early this year to give a political adviser an unprecedented role in security discussions.
Trump's overhaul of the NSC, confirmed by a White House official, also elevated General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Dan Coats, the director of National Intelligence who heads all 17 U.S. intelligence agencies. The official said the change moves the NSC "back to its core function of what it's supposed to do."
It also appears to mark a victory for national security adviser H.R. McMaster, who had told some national security experts he felt he was in a "battle to the death" with Bannon and others on the White House staff.
Trump's White House team has grappled with infighting and intrigue that has hobbled his young presidency. In recent days, several other senior U.S. foreign policy and national security officials have said the mechanisms for shaping the Trump administration's response to pressing challenges such as Syria, North Korea and Iran still were not in place.
REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Close

22 / 97

DAY 75 / APRIL 4: President Donald Trump condemned a Syrian chemical weapons attack that killed dozens and blamed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, but did not say how he would respond despite calls from France for stronger U.S. leadership.
Trump...more

Reuters /
Tuesday, April 04, 2017

DAY 75 / APRIL 4: President Donald Trump condemned a Syrian chemical weapons attack that killed dozens and blamed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, but did not say how he would respond despite calls from France for stronger U.S. leadership.
Trump said the attack in Syria's Idlib province was "reprehensible and cannot be ignored by the civilized world," although he also sought to blame his predecessor, Barack Obama.
"These heinous actions by the Bashar al-Assad regime are a consequence of the last administration's weakness and irresolution," Trump said in a statement. "President Obama said in 2012 that he would establish a 'red line' against the use of chemical weapons and then did nothing."
The Syrian military denied responsibility and said it would never use chemical weapons.
The chemical weapons attack, which killed scores of people, including children, came a week after both Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said their focus in Syria was on stopping Islamic State militants rather than pushing Assad to leave power.
REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah

Close

23 / 97

DAY 74 / APRIL 3: President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, flew into Iraq with the top U.S. military officer to get a first-hand assessment of the battle against Islamic State from U.S. commanders on the ground and to meet Iraqi...more

Reuters /
Tuesday, April 04, 2017

DAY 74 / APRIL 3: President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, flew into Iraq with the top U.S. military officer to get a first-hand assessment of the battle against Islamic State from U.S. commanders on the ground and to meet Iraqi officials.
For Kushner, who has not been to Iraq before, the trip comes at a critical time as Trump examines ways to accelerate a U.S.-led coalition campaign that U.S. and Iraqi officials say has so far been largely successful in uprooting Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria.
The visit appears to demonstrate the far-reaching portfolio of Kushner, 36, who is part of Trump's innermost circle and who has been given a wide range of domestic and foreign policy responsibilities, including working on a Middle East peace deal.
Marine General Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the U.S. military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he invited Kushner and Tom Bossert, White House homeland security adviser, to accompany him so they could hear "first-hand and unfiltered" from military advisers about the situation on the ground and interact with U.S. forces. Iraqi Prime Minister Office/Handout via REUTERS

Close

24 / 97

DAY 73 / APRIL 2: President Donald Trump held out the possibility of using trade as a lever to secure Chinese cooperation against North Korea and suggested Washington might deal with Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs on its own if need...more

Reuters /
Monday, April 03, 2017

DAY 73 / APRIL 2: President Donald Trump held out the possibility of using trade as a lever to secure Chinese cooperation against North Korea and suggested Washington might deal with Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs on its own if need be.
The comments, in an interview published by the Financial Times, appeared designed to pressure Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of his visit to Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida this week.
"China has great influence over North Korea. And China will either decide to help us with North Korea, or they won't. And if they do that will be very good for China, and if they don't it won�t be good for anyone," Trump was quoted as saying, according to an edited transcript published by the newspaper.
Asked what incentive the United States had to offer China, Trump replied: "Trade is the incentive. It is all about trade."
Asked if he would consider a "grand bargain" in which China pressured Pyongyang in return for a guarantee the United States would later remove troops from the Korean peninsula, the newspaper quoted Trump as saying: "Well if China is not going to solve North Korea, we will. That is all I am telling you." REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Close

25 / 97

DAY 72 / APRIL 1: Michael Flynn, President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, failed to disclose payments from a Russian television network and a second firm linked to Russia in a February financial disclosure form, according to...more

Reuters /
Friday, March 31, 2017

DAY 72 / APRIL 1: Michael Flynn, President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, failed to disclose payments from a Russian television network and a second firm linked to Russia in a February financial disclosure form, according to documents released by the White House.
In a financial disclosure form signed by Flynn on March 31, the former White House official listed speaking engagements to Russian entities, including the Kremlin-funded RT TV and Volga-Dnepr Airlines.
The form does not say how much Flynn was paid but the speeches are in a section titled "sources of compensation exceeding $5,000 in a year."
The speeches were not included in a form that Flynn signed electronically on February 11, which the White House also released on Saturday. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Close

26 / 97

DAY 71 / MARCH 31: U.S. Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives intelligence committee, said it was too soon to consider immunity requests for former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
Testimony from Flynn...more

Reuters /
Thursday, December 22, 2016

DAY 71 / MARCH 31: U.S. Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives intelligence committee, said it was too soon to consider immunity requests for former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
Testimony from Flynn before the House and Senate intelligence committees could help shed light on the conversations he had last year with Sergei Kislyak, Russian ambassador to the United States, while national security adviser for Trump's presidential campaign.
Schiff said the House intelligence panel would discuss any request with the Justice Department and the Senate Intelligence Committee, describing such a request "a grave and momentous step."
Schiff was allowed to see documents at the White House that previously had been seen only by the Republican chairman of the intelligence committee.
Schiff and an aide went to the White House at the administration's invitation to review documents that it said support Trump's contention he and his team were subjected to surveillance by the Obama administration during the presidential campaign.
The Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Devin Nunes, has been criticized by his colleagues on the panel for his handling of the investigation of possible Russian connections, including going to the White House complex independently to review documents on the purported surveillance.
White House spokesman Sean Spicer was asked at a news briefing if he was concerned that Flynn could provide information that could be harmful to the administration and replied, "Nope."
He said Trump wanted Flynn to testify to "get this matter behind us" but declined to say specifically that he should be granted immunity.
REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Close

27 / 97

DAY 70 / MARCH 30: President Donald Trump backed a decision by his former national security adviser to seek immunity in congressional probes of possible ties between his campaign and Russia, but there was no immediate sign that the request would be...more

Reuters /
Tuesday, February 14, 2017

DAY 70 / MARCH 30: President Donald Trump backed a decision by his former national security adviser to seek immunity in congressional probes of possible ties between his campaign and Russia, but there was no immediate sign that the request would be granted.
Retired General Michael Flynn, who resigned only 24 days after becoming national security adviser, wants protection against "unfair prosecution" if he testifies before the intelligence committees of the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives, his lawyer, Robert Kelner, said.
Testimony from Flynn could help shed light on the conversations he had last year with Sergei Kislyak, Russian ambassador to the United States, while national security adviser for Trump's presidential campaign.
Trump, a Republican, said in a tweet that Democrats were instigating the congressional probes because they were upset about his Nov. 8 victory over their party's candidate, Hillary Clinton.
"Mike Flynn should ask for immunity in that this is a witch hunt (excuse for big election loss), by media & Dems, of historic proportion!" Trump said.
REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Close

28 / 97

DAY 69 / MARCH 29: The Republican chairman of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee promised a thorough investigation into any direct links between Russia and Donald Trump during his successful 2016 run for the White House.
Committee chairman...more

Reuters /
Thursday, March 30, 2017

DAY 69 / MARCH 29: The Republican chairman of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee promised a thorough investigation into any direct links between Russia and Donald Trump during his successful 2016 run for the White House.
Committee chairman Richard Burr and Mark Warner, its top Democrat, pledged at a joint news conference that they would work together, in contrast with the partisan discord roiling a similar probe by the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee.
Burr was asked if the Senate panel wants to determine if there is anything suggesting a direct link to Trump and responded, "We know that our challenge is to answer that question for the American people."
Trump's young presidency has been clouded by allegations from U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia sought to help him win while connections between his campaign personnel and Russia also are under scrutiny. Trump dismisses such assertions and Russia denies the allegations.
The Senate committee intends to begin interviewing as many as 20 people, including Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and one of his closest advisers, beginning as early as April 3.
REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein

Close

29 / 97

DAY 68 / MARCH 28: President Donald Trump signed an order to undo Obama-era climate change regulations, keeping a campaign promise to support the coal industry and calling into question U.S. support for an international deal to fight global...more

Reuters /
Wednesday, March 29, 2017

DAY 68 / MARCH 28: President Donald Trump signed an order to undo Obama-era climate change regulations, keeping a campaign promise to support the coal industry and calling into question U.S. support for an international deal to fight global warming.
Flanked by coal miners and coal company executives, Trump proclaimed his "Energy Independence" executive order at the headquarters of the Environmental Protection Agency.
The move drew swift backlash from a coalition of 23 states and local governments, as well as environmental groups, which called the decree a threat to public health and vowed to fight it in court.
The order's main target is former President Barack Obama's Clean Power Plan, which required states to slash carbon emissions from power plants - a key factor in the United States' ability to meet its commitments under a climate change accord reached by nearly 200 countries in Paris in 2015.
Trump's decree also reverses a ban on coal leasing on federal lands, undoes rules to curb methane emissions from oil and gas production and reduces the weight of climate change and carbon emissions in policy and infrastructure permitting decisions. Carbon dioxide and methane are two of the main greenhouse gases blamed by scientists for heating the earth.
Energy analysts and executives have questioned whether the moves will have a big effect on their industries, and environmentalists have called them reckless.
REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Close

30 / 97

DAY 67 / MARCH 27: A Russian bank under Western economic sanctions over Russia's incursion into Ukraine disclosed that its executives had met Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a top White House adviser, in December.
A U.S....more

Reuters /
Wednesday, March 15, 2017

DAY 67 / MARCH 27: A Russian bank under Western economic sanctions over Russia's incursion into Ukraine disclosed that its executives had met Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a top White House adviser, in December.
A U.S. Senate committee investigating suspected Russian interference in the election wants to interview Trump associates, including Kushner, 36, who has agreed to testify.
Kushner previously acknowledged meeting the Russian ambassador to Washington last December and only on March 27 did it emerge that executives of Russian state development bank Vnesheconombank (VEB) had talks with Kushner during a bank roadshow last year.
The bank said in an emailed statement that as part of its preparing a new strategy, its executives met representatives of financial institutes in Europe, Asia and America.
It said roadshow meetings took place "with a number of representatives of the largest banks and business establishments of the United States, including Jared Kushner, the head of Kushner Companies." VEB declined to say where the meetings took place or the dates.
There was no immediate comment from Kushner.
REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Close

31 / 97

DAY 66 / MARCH 26: Roger Stone, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, said he has offered to testify before a congressional committee investigating possible Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and ties to the Trump...more

Reuters /
Wednesday, March 01, 2017

DAY 66 / MARCH 26: Roger Stone, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, said he has offered to testify before a congressional committee investigating possible Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and ties to the Trump campaign.
Stone, an informal adviser to Trump, told ABC's "This Week" he had not received a reply from the House of Representatives intelligence committee on his offer of public testimony.
Stone was among the Trump associates whose communications and financial transactions were being examined by the FBI and others as part of a larger investigation into possible links with Russian officials, according to a Jan. 20 report in the New York Times.
Without citing any names, FBI Director James Comey confirmed at the committee's public hearing last week that the FBI was investigating possible Russian ties to Trump's campaign as Moscow sought to influence the 2016 election.
Stone said he was anxious to testify in public.
"I reiterate again, I have had no contacts or collusions with the Russians," he told ABC, adding later, "There is no collusion, none, at least none that I know about, in Donald Trump's campaign for president."
Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the intelligence committee, cited concern over Stone's communications with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and Guccifer 2, who claimed responsibility for hacking the Democratic groups.
Stone said he had spoken to Assange through an intermediary and to Guccifer on Twitter in an exchange he made public. Stone also cast doubt on whether Guccifer was a Russian agent.
REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

Close

32 / 97

DAY 65 / MARCH 25: After failing to repeal Obamacare, Republicans in Congress quickly pivoted to President Donald Trump's next priority: overhauling the federal tax code, but their plan has already split the business community.
Division among...more

Reuters /
Wednesday, March 15, 2017

DAY 65 / MARCH 25: After failing to repeal Obamacare, Republicans in Congress quickly pivoted to President Donald Trump's next priority: overhauling the federal tax code, but their plan has already split the business community.
Division among Republicans was the chief cause of the embarrassing setback on Obamacare, and similar fault lines have been evident for months in the Republicans' tax plan, mainly over an untested proposal to use the tax code to boost exports.
House of Representatives tax committee Chairman Kevin Brady said House Republicans plan to begin moving on tax reform this spring and to pass legislation before Congress's summer recess in late July.
The U.S. tax code is riddled with narrow subsidies and loopholes, many of them deeply embedded in the economy and defended by the interests they benefit, such as the mortgage interest deduction and the business interest deductibility.
Brady's panel has been working on a plan since mid-2016 that would cut the corporate tax rate to 20 percent from 35 percent, end taxing foreign profits for U.S.-based multinationals and cut other tax rates for businesses and investors.
The plan has divided businesses, prompting import-dependent industries to warn of higher prices for consumer goods from clothing and electronics to gasoline.
REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein

Close

33 / 97

DAY 64 / MARCH 24: President Donald Trump suffered a stunning political setback in a Congress controlled by his own party when Republican leaders pulled legislation to overhaul the U.S. healthcare system, a major 2016 election campaign promise of the...more

Reuters /
Saturday, March 25, 2017

DAY 64 / MARCH 24: President Donald Trump suffered a stunning political setback in a Congress controlled by his own party when Republican leaders pulled legislation to overhaul the U.S. healthcare system, a major 2016 election campaign promise of the president and his allies.
Republican leaders of the House of Representatives pulled the legislation due to a shortage of votes despite desperate lobbying by the White House and its allies in Congress, ensuring that Trump's first major legislative initiative since taking office ended in failure.
Republican moderates as well as the most conservative lawmakers had objected to the legislation. The White House and House leaders were unable to come up with a plan that satisfied both moderates and conservatives, despite Trump's vaunted image as a deal maker.
"We learned a lot about loyalty. We learned a lot about the vote-getting process," Trump told reporters at the White House, although he sought to shift the blame to the Democrats, who were unified in their opposition, even though his party controls the White House, the House and the Senate.
"There were things in this bill that I didn't particularly like," Trump added, without specifying what those were, but expressed confidence in Ryan's leadership.
Ryan said he did not know what the next steps would be on healthcare, but called Obamacare so flawed that it would be hard to prop up.
REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Close

34 / 97

DAY 63 / MARCH 23: President Donald Trump will get a second chance to try to close the deal with Republican lawmakers on dismantling Obamacare, but it was unclear whether the House of Representatives would be able to pass a new healthcare bill in a...more

Reuters /
Friday, March 24, 2017

DAY 63 / MARCH 23: President Donald Trump will get a second chance to try to close the deal with Republican lawmakers on dismantling Obamacare, but it was unclear whether the House of Representatives would be able to pass a new healthcare bill in a rescheduled vote on Friday.
The House put off a vote on what was supposed to be Trump's first legislative win because its conservative flank felt the bill did not go far enough to repeal Obama's namesake healthcare legislation, and moderates felt it could hurt their constituents.
But White House budget director Mick Mulvaney told House Republicans at a Thursday night meeting that Trump is done negotiating and wants a vote on Friday, NBC said.
Lawmakers coming out of a Capitol Hill meeting with House leaders and top White House officials late on Thursday told reporters the vote would go ahead.
The Republicans have a majority in the House but because of united Democratic opposition, can afford to lose only 21 Republican votes. As of Thursday morning, NBC News said that 30 Republicans had planned to vote "no" or were leaning that way.
(Pictured: An aide opens the doors as members of the House Freedom Caucus meet on Capitol Hill after their meeting over healthcare legislation with President Donald Trump.)
REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Close

35 / 97

DAY 62 / MARCH 22: Representative Devin Nunes, the Republican chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives intelligence committee, set off a political firestorm when he said the communications of members of Donald Trump's transition team were caught...more

Reuters /
Monday, March 20, 2017

DAY 62 / MARCH 22: Representative Devin Nunes, the Republican chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives intelligence committee, set off a political firestorm when he said the communications of members of Donald Trump's transition team were caught up in incidental surveillance targeting foreigners.
Nunes said at a news conference that it was possible President Trump's own communications were also intercepted and disseminated among U.S. intelligence agencies.
The White House seized on Nunes' remarks, which had cited anonymous sources, to bolster Trump's unproven assertion that former President Barack Obama's administration spied on the incoming president. Nunes himself said there is no proof of that, as have other lawmakers of both parties and the FBI director.
Democrats denounced Nunes' statements as highly unusual from the chairman of an intelligence committee, with the top Democrat on the committee saying its members had not been informed and implying that Nunes was giving political cover to the president.
Intelligence reports about the communications appeared to "unmask" the identity of the Trump associates and the names were widely shared among the agencies, Nunes said. He said it was possible Trump's own communications were also collected.
REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

Close

36 / 97

DAY 61 / MARCH 21: The United States and Britain imposed restrictions on carry-on electronic devices on planes coming from certain airports in Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East and North Africa in response to unspecified security...more

Reuters /
Wednesday, March 22, 2017

DAY 61 / MARCH 21: The United States and Britain imposed restrictions on carry-on electronic devices on planes coming from certain airports in Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East and North Africa in response to unspecified security threats.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said passengers traveling from a specific list of airports could not bring into the main cabin devices larger than a mobile phone such as tablets, portable DVD players, laptops and cameras. Instead, such items must be in checked baggage.
Although civil liberties groups raised concerns that President Donald Trump was seeking another limit on movement after a travel ban from Muslim-majority countries was challenged in the courts, Britain took similar steps.
The moves were prompted by reports that militant groups want to smuggle explosive devices inside electronic gadgets.
The ban would continue for the "foreseeable future," a U.S. government official said, adding that it was possible it could be extended to other airports and other countries.
The airports covered by the U.S. restrictions are in Cairo; Istanbul; Kuwait City; Doha, Qatar; Casablanca, Morocco; Amman, Jordan; Riyadh and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; and Dubai and Abu Dhabi in United Arab Emirates.
REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Close

37 / 97

DAY 60 / MARCH 20: FBI Director James Comey confirmed for the first time that the bureau is investigating possible ties between Republican Donald Trump's presidential campaign and Russia as Moscow sought to influence the 2016 U.S. election.
Comey...more

Reuters /
Monday, March 20, 2017

DAY 60 / MARCH 20: FBI Director James Comey confirmed for the first time that the bureau is investigating possible ties between Republican Donald Trump's presidential campaign and Russia as Moscow sought to influence the 2016 U.S. election.
Comey and Admiral Mike Rogers, the director of the National Security Agency, made clear that their investigation of Moscow and November's U.S. elections could last for months.
Appearing before a congressional panel, Comey also publicly challenged Trump's claim that former President Barack Obama wiretapped his 2016 campaign headquarters in Manhattan's Trump Tower.
Comey refused to back away from his claim that Russian President Vladimir Putin did not simply want Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to lose the election; he wanted Donald Trump to win.
The committee is one of several in the U.S. Congress investigating whether Russia tried to influence the election, mostly by hacking Democratic operatives' emails and releasing embarrassing information. Russia denies the allegations.
Comey confirmed the FBI has been investigating since July possible Russian efforts to interfere in the election, including any cooperation between Trump's campaign and Moscow. He said that while the Russian government wanted to hurt Clinton's campaign and help Trump's, intelligence agencies made no judgment on whether the efforts influenced the outcome.
REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

Close

38 / 97

DAY 59 / MARCH 19: A detailed version of President Donald Trump's budget to be released in May will lay out plans to eventually erase U.S. deficits, White House budget director Mick Mulvaney said.
"We're getting into that now. By May, I think it's...more

Reuters /
Friday, March 17, 2017

DAY 59 / MARCH 19: A detailed version of President Donald Trump's budget to be released in May will lay out plans to eventually erase U.S. deficits, White House budget director Mick Mulvaney said.
"We're getting into that now. By May, I think it's mid-May we're shooting for right now, we'll have that larger budget..." Mulvaney said on NBC's "Meet the Press" program.
Mulvaney acknowledged that the budget would not be balanced in the upcoming 2018 fiscal year but said the administration wants to put the country on a path toward eventually wiping out annual deficits.
"It is a very complicated budget process when your entitlements, your mandatory spending is driving most of your budget deficit," he said. "So over the course of the next decade, we'll have to look at the mandatory spending side in order to figure out a way to make changes to the way we spend money."
Trump's initial budget outline prompted criticism from both Democrats and some Republicans for its proposals for steep cuts in domestic programs such as education and environmental enforcement programs as well as foreign aid.
REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Close

39 / 97

DAY 58 / MARCH 18: Despite a long list of potential pitfalls, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's visit to China, the first by a senior member of the Trump administration, passed off relatively smoothly although there were no tangible gains to...more

Reuters /
Friday, March 17, 2017

DAY 58 / MARCH 18: Despite a long list of potential pitfalls, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's visit to China, the first by a senior member of the Trump administration, passed off relatively smoothly although there were no tangible gains to show.
No formal agreements were announced in the visit, although the two sides said they would work together on North Korea and countering its rapidly developing nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
Wrapped up in the tightly scripted proceedings, however, was a sense that the world's two biggest economies were warily testing each other out as the new administration settles down in Washington. They seemed to be reserving airing of differences for another occasion.
But Tillerson's diplomatic inexperience showed in at least one instance, when in an interview published on March 18 he appeared to accuse the South Korean government of lying about the details of his visit.
Unnamed South Korean officials had told the Korea Herald newspapers that Tillerson's "fatigue" was to blame for not having a meal with any officials in Seoul, as opposed to his lengthier meetings with Japanese counterparts.
Tillerson disputed that in an interview with the Independent Journal Review, a conservative outlet whose reporter was the sole media representative invited to travel with the secretary of state.
"They never invited us for dinner, then at the last minute they realized that optically it wasn't playing very well in public for them, so they put out a statement that we didn't have dinner because I was tired," Tillerson said, according to a transcript of the interview.
REUTERS/Lee Jin-man/Pool

Close

40 / 97

DAY 57 / MARCH 17: The first face-to-face meeting between President Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel started awkwardly and ended even more oddly, with a quip by Trump about wiretapping that left the German leader visibly bewildered.
The two...more

Reuters /
Saturday, March 18, 2017

DAY 57 / MARCH 17: The first face-to-face meeting between President Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel started awkwardly and ended even more oddly, with a quip by Trump about wiretapping that left the German leader visibly bewildered.
The two leaders share different views on trade, Russia and immigration, leading to some uncomfortable moments at a joint news conference in which they took pains to downplay differences that were hard to mask.
Merkel began her remarks at the news conference by saying it was better to speak to each other than about each other.
Trump pressed Merkel for Germany to meet NATO's military spending target, and Merkel reiterated her country's commitment to the 2 percent military spending goal.
Trump also stood by unproven claims that the Obama administration tapped his phones, and expressed solidarity with a surprised Merkel, whose government charged that the United States in 2013 may have monitored Merkel's mobile phone.
"As far as wiretapping, I guess, by this past administration, at least we have something in common perhaps," Trump said to Merkel, who looked bewildered as she stared back at him from her podium.
REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Close

41 / 97

DAY 56 / MARCH 16: President Trump's first budget outline, calling for a security-heavy realignment of federal spending, drew quick resistance from Congress, with especially strong criticism of proposed deep cuts to diplomatic and foreign aid...more

Reuters /
Tuesday, March 14, 2017

DAY 56 / MARCH 16: President Trump's first budget outline, calling for a security-heavy realignment of federal spending, drew quick resistance from Congress, with especially strong criticism of proposed deep cuts to diplomatic and foreign aid programs.
It is not unusual for a new White House to present a "skinny budget" - a spending wish list for Congress and some basic economic projections - but Trump's first one takes it to an anemic level.
The administration asked Congress for a 10 percent increase in military spending next year and beefed-up funding to help deport more illegal immigrants and build a wall on the border with Mexico.
The budget calls for a 28 percent cut in State Department funding and other international programs.
The proposal would also inflict a 31 percent cut to the Environmental Protection Agency's budget, eliminating its climate change programs and trimming core initiatives aimed at protecting air and water.
REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

Close

42 / 97

DAY 55 / MARCH 15: Just hours before President Donald Trump's revised travel ban was set to go into effect, a U.S. federal judge in Hawaii issued an emergency halt to the order's implementation.
The action was the latest legal blow to the...more

Reuters /
Thursday, March 16, 2017

DAY 55 / MARCH 15: Just hours before President Donald Trump's revised travel ban was set to go into effect, a U.S. federal judge in Hawaii issued an emergency halt to the order's implementation.
The action was the latest legal blow to the administration's efforts to temporarily ban refugees as well as travelers from six predominantly Muslim countries.
The new ban, signed by the president on March 6, had aimed to overcome legal problems with a January executive order that caused chaos at airports and sparked mass protests before a Washington judge stopped its enforcement in February.
U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson put an emergency stop to the new order in response to a lawsuit filed by the state of Hawaii, which argued that the order discriminated against Muslims in violation of the U.S. Constitution. President Trump has said the policy is critical for national security and does not discriminate against any religion.
Judge Watson concluded in his ruling that while the order did not mention Islam by name, "a reasonable, objective observer ... would conclude that the Executive Order was issued with a purpose to disfavor a particular religion." Watson was appointed to the bench by former Democratic President Barack Obama.
Trump said the judge's legal block "makes us look weak" and represented "unprecedented judicial overreach," speaking at a rally in Nashville, Tennessee. He said he'll take case "as far as it needs to go" including to the Supreme Court.
(Pictured: Hawaii Attorney General Douglas Chin answers questions from the media after presenting his arguments after filing an amended lawsuit against Trump's new travel ban in Honolulu.)
REUTERS/Hugh Gentry

Close

43 / 97

DAY 54 / MARCH 14: President Donald Trump paid $38 million in taxes on more than $150 million in income in 2005, the White House said, responding to an MSNBC report that the network had obtained two pages of the returns.
MSNBC host Rachel Maddow...more

Reuters /
Monday, March 13, 2017

DAY 54 / MARCH 14: President Donald Trump paid $38 million in taxes on more than $150 million in income in 2005, the White House said, responding to an MSNBC report that the network had obtained two pages of the returns.
MSNBC host Rachel Maddow said she received the documents from journalist David Cay Johnston, who said on her show that he received them in the mail.
The returns, which MSNBC posted on its website, showed Trump paid an effective federal tax rate of 25 percent in 2005 after writing off $100 million in losses.
The White House said in a statement that Trump took into account "large scale depreciation for construction."
Trump has repeatedly refused to release his tax returns, drawing criticism throughout his campaign last year and speculation from his political rivals he was hiding something.
A New York Times report in October said Trump declared a $916 million loss on his 1995 income tax returns. The newspaper said the large tax deduction could have allowed him to avoid paying federal income taxes for up to 18 years. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Close

44 / 97

DAY 53 / MARCH 13: Fourteen million Americans would lose medical insurance by next year under a Republican plan to dismantle Obamacare, the nonpartisan U.S. Congressional Budget Office said in a report that dealt a potential setback to President...more

Reuters /
Tuesday, March 14, 2017

DAY 53 / MARCH 13: Fourteen million Americans would lose medical insurance by next year under a Republican plan to dismantle Obamacare, the nonpartisan U.S. Congressional Budget Office said in a report that dealt a potential setback to President Donald Trump's first major legislative initiative.
The eagerly awaited CBO report also forecast that 24 million more people would be uninsured in 2026 if the plan being considered in the House of Representatives were adopted. Obamacare enabled about 20 million previously uninsured Americans to obtain medical insurance.
The CBO projected that 52 million people would be uninsured by 2026 if the bill became law, compared to 28 million who would not have coverage that year if former President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law remained unchanged.
Two House of Representatives committees have approved the legislation to dismantle Obamacare that was unveiled by Republican leaders a week earlier, but it faces opposition from not only Democrats but also medical providers including doctors and hospitals and many conservatives. The CBO report's findings could make the Republican plan a harder sell in Congress.
The CBO estimated that insurance premiums would rise 15 percent to 20 percent in both 2018 and 2019 because fewer healthy people would sign up after the repeal of the Obamacare penalty for declining to obtain insurance. But it said the hikes would be offset after 2020 by a $100 billion fund allocated to states in the bill and deregulation in the insurance market.
REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Close

45 / 97

DAY 52 / MARCH 12: Trump senior counselor Kellyanne Conway doubled down on President Trump's allegation that his campaign headquarters in New York were wiretapped by the Obama administration, in an interview with the Bergen Record.
Conway suggested...more

Reuters /
Tuesday, March 07, 2017

DAY 52 / MARCH 12: Trump senior counselor Kellyanne Conway doubled down on President Trump's allegation that his campaign headquarters in New York were wiretapped by the Obama administration, in an interview with the Bergen Record.
Conway suggested monitoring could be done in many ways: "You can surveil someone through their phones, certainly through their television sets -- any number of ways."
She added that it could be done with "microwaves that turn into cameras," saying, "We know this is a fact of modern life."
A day earlier, the House Intelligence Committee asked the Department of Justice in a letter for any request it may have made in 2016 relating to Trump or his associates to the secret court that supervises government electronic eavesdropping.
If Trump's campaign or advisers were indeed being wiretapped in the United States, the most likely legal path for the Obama administration to do so would be to have the Justice Department ask the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, or FISC, for permission to eavesdrop.
Trump accused predecessor Barack Obama of wiretapping him during the late stages of the campaign, but offered no evidence for an allegation which an Obama spokesman said was "simply false".
REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Close

46 / 97

DAY 51 / MARCH 11: New York U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, a prominent U.S. prosecutor, said the Trump administration fired him after he refused to step down, adding a discordant note to what is normally a routine changing of top attorneys when a new...more

Reuters /
Thursday, October 29, 2015

DAY 51 / MARCH 11: New York U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, a prominent U.S. prosecutor, said the Trump administration fired him after he refused to step down, adding a discordant note to what is normally a routine changing of top attorneys when a new president takes office.
Bharara's defiant exit, first announced on Twitter, raised questions about President Donald Trump's ability to fill top jobs throughout his government.
Trump has yet to put forward any candidates to serve as the nation's 93 district attorneys even as his Justice Department asked the 46 who have not yet quit to hand in their resignations on March 10. Key positions at agencies like the State Department and the Defense Department also remain unfilled.
As the federal prosecutor for Manhattan and surrounding areas since 2009, Bharara secured insider-trading settlements from Wall Street firms and won criminal convictions in high-profile corruption and terrorism cases.
He told reporters in November that Trump had asked him to stay in his post, and he refused to resign when asked to do so by the Justice Department on March 10. He said he was fired on the afternoon of March 11.
"Serving my country as U.S. Attorney here for the past seven years will forever be the greatest honor of my professional life, no matter what else I do or how long I live," Bharara said in a press statement.
REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

Close

47 / 97

DAY 50 / MARCH 10: A series of tweets by White House spokesman Sean Spicer commenting on strong February job creation figures may have run afoul of federal guidance barring most officials from commenting on key economic data within an hour of its...more

Reuters /
Wednesday, February 22, 2017

DAY 50 / MARCH 10: A series of tweets by White House spokesman Sean Spicer commenting on strong February job creation figures may have run afoul of federal guidance barring most officials from commenting on key economic data within an hour of its release.
The rule, Statistical Policy Directive Number 3, is meant to "preserve the distinction between the policy-neutral release of data by statistical agencies and their interpretation by policy officials."
Asked about the tweets at a White House news briefing, Spicer said the posts simply repeated public information and did not provide any analysis that could have disrupted markets.
"We're excited to see so many Americans back to work," he said. "So, I apologize if we were a little excited."
In its monthly report on U.S. employment, released at 8:30 a.m., the Labor Department said nonfarm employers added 235,000 workers to their payrolls, with the unemployment rate dropping a tenth of a percentage point to 4.7 percent.
Twenty-four minutes after the data was released, Spicer tweeted, "Great news for American workers: economy added 235,000 new jobs, unemployment rate drops to 4.7% in first report for @POTUS Trump."
Minutes later, he added: "Not a bad way to start day 50 of this Administration."
White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, in his own tweet at 9:02 a.m.: "@POTUS Trump delivers in first #JobsReport. 235,000 new jobs and unemployment rate down to 4.7%. Great news for American workers!"
Vice President Mike Pence also got into the act.
Trump retweeted a post from the Drudge Report that said simply, "GREAT AGAIN: +235,000."
REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Close

48 / 97

DAY 49 / MARCH 9: Trump's plan to boost military spending comes amid mounting evidence that potential enemies have new weapons that are able to destroy much of the United States' expensive fleet of aircraft carriers.
A week earlier, President Trump...more

Reuters /
Friday, March 03, 2017

DAY 49 / MARCH 9: Trump's plan to boost military spending comes amid mounting evidence that potential enemies have new weapons that are able to destroy much of the United States' expensive fleet of aircraft carriers.
A week earlier, President Trump chose the deck of the newest U.S. aircraft carrier, the $13 billion USS Gerald R. Ford, for a speech extolling his planned boost in military spending.
Trump vowed that the newest generation of "Ford Class" carriers - the most expensive warships ever built - will remain the centerpiece of projecting American power abroad.
"We're going to soon have more coming," Trump told an enthusiastic audience of sailors, declaring the new carriers so big and solidly built that they were immune to attack.
REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Close

49 / 97

DAY 48 / MARCH 8: Two senior senators asked the FBI and Justice Department for any information they have on President Donald Trump's unsubstantiated claim that his predecessor Barack Obama wiretapped him during the 2016 U.S. presidential...more

Reuters /
Monday, March 06, 2017

DAY 48 / MARCH 8: Two senior senators asked the FBI and Justice Department for any information they have on President Donald Trump's unsubstantiated claim that his predecessor Barack Obama wiretapped him during the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign.
In a letter to James Comey, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Acting Deputy Attorney General Dana Boente, Republican Lindsey Graham and Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse wrote:
"We request that the Department of Justice provide us copies of any warrant applications and court orders ... related to wiretaps of President Trump, the Trump campaign, or Trump Tower."
Under U.S. law, presidents cannot direct wiretapping. Instead, the federal government can ask a court to authorize the action, but it must provide justification.
Asked at a briefing on Wednesday if Trump was the subject of a probe, White House spokesman Sean Spicer replied: "There is no reason that we have to think that the president is the target of any investigation whatsoever."
Critics of Trump in Congress have accused him of issuing the wiretap allegation to try to deflect attention from investigations into his administration's possible ties to Russia. Some have likened it to Trump's long-held contention that Obama was not born in the United States and thus did not legitimately hold the office of president - an accusation he did not withdraw until 2016.
REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

Close

50 / 97

DAY 47 / MARCH 7: President Donald Trump endorsed Republican legislation to replace the Obamacare healthcare law but it faced a rebellion by conservative groups and lawmakers who denounced it, complicating its chances for passage in the U.S....more

Reuters /
Wednesday, March 08, 2017

DAY 47 / MARCH 7: President Donald Trump endorsed Republican legislation to replace the Obamacare healthcare law but it faced a rebellion by conservative groups and lawmakers who denounced it, complicating its chances for passage in the U.S. Congress.
Republican U.S. House of Representatives leaders on Monday unveiled legislation to do away with Obamacare, eliminating the requirement that most Americans obtain medical insurance and creating a system of tax credits to coax people to purchase private insurance on the open market.
Speaker Paul Ryan said he could guarantee that he had enough votes to win passage of the measure in the House, adding that conservatives should be excited about the plan to repeal and replace Democratic former President Barack Obama's signature domestic policy achievement.
But conservatives slammed the proposal, with Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee calling it "exactly the type of back-room dealing and rushed process that we criticized Democrats for."
Trump said the plan was open to negotiation but said it had already earned support "from everybody." Vice President Mike Pence described it as a "framework," signaling it was far from its final form, and Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price called it "a work in progress." REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Close

51 / 97

DAY 46 / MARCH 6: President Donald Trump signed a revised executive order banning citizens from six Muslim-majority nations from traveling to the United States but removing Iraq from the list, after his controversial first attempt was blocked in the...more

Reuters /
Monday, March 06, 2017

DAY 46 / MARCH 6: President Donald Trump signed a revised executive order banning citizens from six Muslim-majority nations from traveling to the United States but removing Iraq from the list, after his controversial first attempt was blocked in the courts.
The new order, which the White House said Trump had signed, keeps a 90-day ban on travel to the United States by citizens of Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the new order would take effect on March 16. The delay aims to limit the disruption created by the original Jan. 27 order before a judge suspended it on Feb. 3.
Trump's first order was seen by opponents as discrimination against Muslims but the White House official said the new order was based on national security concerns and had nothing to do with religion.
The White House official said the new executive order also ensures that tens of thousands of legal permanent residents in the United States - or green card holders - from the listed countries would not be affected by the travel ban.
The original order barred travelers from the seven nations from entering for 90 days and all refugees for 120 days. The administration would reset the clock on the 90-day travel ban.
Refugees from Syria were to be banned indefinitely but under the new order they are not given separate treatment.
REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Close

52 / 97

DAY 45 / MARCH 5: Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper rejected President Donald Trump's accusation, made without offering supporting evidence, that Barack Obama wiretapped him even as the White House urged Congress to investigate...more

Reuters /
Monday, January 23, 2017

DAY 45 / MARCH 5: Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper rejected President Donald Trump's accusation, made without offering supporting evidence, that Barack Obama wiretapped him even as the White House urged Congress to investigate Trump's allegation.
The New York Times reported that FBI Director James Comey asked the Justice Department this weekend to reject Trump's wiretapping claim because it was false and must be corrected, but the department had not done so. The report cited senior U.S. officials.
The White House asked Congress to examine whether the Obama administration abused its investigative authority during the 2016 presidential campaign, as part of an ongoing congressional probe into Russia's influence on the election.
"There was no such wiretap activity mounted against the president-elect at the time, or as a candidate or against his campaign," Clapper, who left his post at the end of Obama's term, said on NBC's "Meet the Press."
Under U.S. law, a federal court would have to have found probable cause that the target of the surveillance is an "agent of a foreign power" in order to approve a warrant authorizing electronic surveillance of Trump Tower.
Asked whether there was such a court order, Clapper said, "I can deny it."
REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

Close

53 / 97

DAY 44 / MARCH 4: Without offering supporting evidence, President Donald Trump accused predecessor Barack Obama of wiretapping him during the late stages of the 2016 election campaign, in a series of early morning tweets.
"How low has President...more

Reuters /
Saturday, January 21, 2017

DAY 44 / MARCH 4: Without offering supporting evidence, President Donald Trump accused predecessor Barack Obama of wiretapping him during the late stages of the 2016 election campaign, in a series of early morning tweets.
"How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!," Trump wrote in one tweet. "I'd bet a good lawyer could make a great case out of the fact that President Obama was tapping my phones in October, just prior to Election!"
The remarkable tussle between the current and former presidents just 45 days since the handover of power is the latest twist in a controversy over ties between Trump associates and Russia that has dogged the early days of his presidency.
U.S. intelligence agencies concluded last year that Russia hacked and leaked Democratic emails during the election campaign as part of an effort to tilt the vote in Trump's favor. The Kremlin has denied the allegations.
Trump has accused officials in Obama's administration of trying to discredit him with questions about Russia contacts.
Obama spokesman Kevin Lewis said it had been a "cardinal rule" of the Obama administration that no White House official ever interfered with any independent investigation led by the Department of Justice. "Neither President Obama nor any White House official ever ordered surveillance on any U.S. citizen. Any suggestion otherwise is simply false," Lewis said in a statement.
The statement did not address the possibility that a wiretap of the Trump campaign could have been ordered by Justice Department officials.
Trump said the alleged wiretapping took place in his Trump Tower office and apartment building in New York, but there was "nothing found." The White House did not respond to a request to elaborate on Trump's accusations.
REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Close

54 / 97

DAY 43 / MARCH 3: Women and children crossing together illegally into the United States could be separated by U.S. authorities under a proposal being considered by the Department of Homeland Security, according to three government officials.
Part of...more

Reuters /
Wednesday, January 04, 2017

DAY 43 / MARCH 3: Women and children crossing together illegally into the United States could be separated by U.S. authorities under a proposal being considered by the Department of Homeland Security, according to three government officials.
Part of the reason for the proposal is to deter mothers from migrating to the United States with their children, said the officials, who have been briefed on the proposal.
The policy shift would allow the government to keep parents in custody while they contest deportation or wait for asylum hearings. Children would be put into protective custody with the Department of Health and Human Services, in the "least restrictive setting" until they can be taken into the care of a U.S. relative or state-sponsored guardian.
Currently, families contesting deportation or applying for asylum are generally released from detention quickly and allowed to remain in the United States until their cases are resolved. A federal appeals court ruling bars prolonged child detention.
President Donald Trump has called for ending "catch and release," in which migrants who cross illegally are freed to live in the United States while awaiting legal proceedings. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez

Close

55 / 97

DAY 42 / MARCH 2: Attorney General Jeff Sessions said he would stay out of any probe into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election but maintained he did nothing wrong by failing to disclose he met last year with Russia's...more

Reuters /
Friday, March 03, 2017

DAY 42 / MARCH 2: Attorney General Jeff Sessions said he would stay out of any probe into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election but maintained he did nothing wrong by failing to disclose he met last year with Russia's ambassador.
"I have recused myself in the matters that deal with the Trump campaign," Sessions told reporters at a hastily arranged news conference.
Sessions said he had been weighing recusal even before the latest twist of the controversy over ties between Trump associates and Russia that has dogged the early days of the Trump presidency.
The president backed Sessions, saying Democrats had politicized the issue and calling the controversy a "total witch hunt."
Sessions' announcement did nothing to quell concerns among congressional Democrats, a number of whom called for Sessions to step down. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

Close

56 / 97

DAY 41 / MARCH 1: President Donald Trump's promise to use existing funds to begin immediate construction of a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border has hit a financial roadblock, according to a document seen by Reuters.
The rapid start of construction,...more

Reuters /
Friday, February 10, 2017

DAY 41 / MARCH 1: President Donald Trump's promise to use existing funds to begin immediate construction of a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border has hit a financial roadblock, according to a document seen by Reuters.
The rapid start of construction, promised throughout Trump's campaign and in an executive order issued in January on border security, was to be financed, according to the White House, with "existing funds and resources" of the Department of Homeland Security.
But so far, the DHS has identified only $20 million that can be re-directed to the multi-billion-dollar project, according to a document prepared by the agency and distributed to congressional budget staff last week.
The document said the funds would be enough to cover a handful of contracts for wall prototypes, but not enough to begin construction of an actual barrier. This means that for the wall to move forward, the White House will need to convince Congress to appropriate funds.
REUTERS/Mike Blake

Close

57 / 97

DAY 40 / FEBRUARY 28: President Trump told Congress he was open to immigration reform, shifting from his harsh rhetoric on illegal immigration in a speech that offered a more restrained tone than his election campaign and first month in the White...more

Reuters /
Wednesday, March 01, 2017

DAY 40 / FEBRUARY 28: President Trump told Congress he was open to immigration reform, shifting from his harsh rhetoric on illegal immigration in a speech that offered a more restrained tone than his election campaign and first month in the White House.
Trump, in a prime-time address to a country that remains divided over his leadership, emphasized his desire to focus on problems at home by boosting the U.S. economy with tax reform, a $1 trillion infrastructure effort and an overhaul of President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law, known as Obamacare.
After a first month in office dominated by a fight over his temporary travel ban on people from seven Muslim-majority nations, Trump looked for a reset to move past a chaotic period that sowed doubts about his ability to govern effectively.
He called for national unity and showed a more measured tone, avoiding a repeat of his attacks on Democratic opponents and media organizations. REUTERS/Jim Bourg

Close

58 / 97

DAY 39 / FEBRUARY 27: President Trump is seeking what he called a "historic" 9 percent increase in military spending, even as the United States has wound down major wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and remains the world's strongest military power.
Trump...more

Reuters /
Tuesday, October 25, 2016

DAY 39 / FEBRUARY 27: President Trump is seeking what he called a "historic" 9 percent increase in military spending, even as the United States has wound down major wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and remains the world's strongest military power.
Trump will ask Congress to boost Pentagon spending in the next fiscal year by $54 billion in his first budget proposal and slash the same amount from non-defense spending, including a large reduction in foreign aid, a White House budget official said.
The president does not have the final say on federal spending. His plan for the military is part of a budget proposal to Congress. Although controlled by his fellow Republicans, Congress will not necessarily follow his plans. Budget negotiations with lawmakers can take months to play out.
Officials familiar with Trump's budget blueprint said the defense increase would be financed partly by cuts to the State Department, Environmental Protection Agency and other non-defense programs.
Trump's budget will not seek cuts in federal social programs such as Social Security and Medicare, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said.
REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani

Close

59 / 97

DAY 38 / FEBRUARY 26: President Trump's pick for secretary of the Navy withdrew from consideration, the second time a Trump nominee to lead one of the armed services bowed out because of government conflict-of-interest rules.
Trump last month...more

Reuters /
Friday, June 03, 2016

DAY 38 / FEBRUARY 26: President Trump's pick for secretary of the Navy withdrew from consideration, the second time a Trump nominee to lead one of the armed services bowed out because of government conflict-of-interest rules.
Trump last month nominated Philip Bilden, a private equity executive and former military intelligence officer, to lead the Navy, which the president has pledged he will expand.
In a statement, Bilden said that "after an extensive review process, I have determined that I will not be able to satisfy the Office of Government Ethics requirements without undue disruption and materially adverse divestment of my family's private financial interests."
The development leaves Trump and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis without nominees to head both the Navy and Army.
Vincent Viola, whom the president had picked to be secretary of the Army, withdrew earlier this month.
U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Anthony Flynn/Handout via REUTERS

Close

60 / 97

DAY 37 / FEBRUARY 25: President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he would not attend the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner, a high-profile event that draws celebrities, politicians and journalists.
A day earlier, the White...more

Reuters /
Saturday, February 25, 2017

DAY 37 / FEBRUARY 25: President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he would not attend the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner, a high-profile event that draws celebrities, politicians and journalists.
A day earlier, the White House excluded several major U.S. news organizations, including some it has criticized, from an off-camera briefing held by the White House press secretary.
Reporters for CNN, The New York Times, Politico, The Los Angeles Times and BuzzFeed were not allowed into the session in the office of press secretary Sean Spicer, a decision that drew strong protests.
Trump has regularly attacked the media and at CPAC on February 24 he criticized news organizations that he said provide "fake news," calling them the "enemy" of the American people.
REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

Close

61 / 97

DAY 36 / FEBRUARY 24: President Donald Trump said he would make a massive budget request for one of the "greatest military buildups in American history" in a feisty, campaign-style CPAC speech.
Trump outlined plans for strengthening the military,...more

Reuters /
Thursday, February 16, 2017

DAY 36 / FEBRUARY 24: President Donald Trump said he would make a massive budget request for one of the "greatest military buildups in American history" in a feisty, campaign-style CPAC speech.
Trump outlined plans for strengthening the military, already the world's most powerful fighting force, and other initiatives such as tax reform and regulatory rollback.
He offered few specifics on the budget request that is likely to face a harsh reality on Capitol Hill. At a time when he wants to slash taxes for Americans, funding a major military buildup without spending cuts elsewhere would add substantially to the U.S. budget deficit.
Trump said he would aim to upgrade the military in both offensive and defensive capabilities, with a massive spending request to Congress that would make the country's defense "bigger and better and stronger than ever before."
"And, hopefully, we'll never have to use it, but nobody is going to mess with us. Nobody. It will be one of the greatest military buildups in American history," Trump said. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

Close

62 / 97

DAY 35 / FEBRUARY 23: In his first comments about the U.S. nuclear arsenal since taking office, President Trump was asked about a December tweet in which he said the United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capacity "until such...more

Reuters /
Saturday, February 04, 2017

DAY 35 / FEBRUARY 23: In his first comments about the U.S. nuclear arsenal since taking office, President Trump was asked about a December tweet in which he said the United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capacity "until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes."
Trump said in a Reuters interview he would like to see a world with no nuclear weapons but expressed concern that the United States has "fallen behind on nuclear weapon capacity. I am the first one that would like to see ... nobody have nukes, but we're never going to fall behind any country even if it's a friendly country, we're never going to fall behind on nuclear power. It would be wonderful, a dream would be that no country would have nukes, but if countries are going to have nukes, we're going to be at the top of the pack," Trump said.
Russia has 7,000 warheads and the United States, 6,800, according to the Ploughshares Fund, an anti-nuclear group.
(Pictured is a military aide holding the "football" containing launch codes for nuclear weapons.)
REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Close

63 / 97

DAY 34 / FEBRUARY 22: President Donald Trump's administration revoked landmark guidance to public schools letting transgender students use the bathrooms of their choice, reversing a signature initiative of former President Barack Obama.
Obama had...more

Reuters /
Thursday, February 23, 2017

DAY 34 / FEBRUARY 22: President Donald Trump's administration revoked landmark guidance to public schools letting transgender students use the bathrooms of their choice, reversing a signature initiative of former President Barack Obama.
Obama had instructed public schools last May to let transgender students use the bathrooms matching their chosen gender identity, threatening to withhold funding for schools that did not comply. Transgender people hailed the step as victory for their civil rights.
Trump rescinded those guidelines, even though they had been put on hold by a federal judge, arguing that states and public schools should have the authority to make their own decisions without federal interference.
The Justice and Education departments will continue to study the legal issues involved, according to the new, superseding guidance that will be sent to public schools.
White House spokesman Sean Spicer said the administration was pressed to act now because of a pending Supreme Court case, pitting a Virginia transgender boy, Gavin Grimm, against officials who want to deny him use of the boys' room at his high school.
REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Close

64 / 97

DAY 33 / FEBRUARY 21: President Donald Trump delivered his first public condemnation of anti-Semitic incidents in the United States after a new spate of bomb threats to Jewish community centers and the vandalism of about 170 headstones in a Jewish...more

Reuters /
Wednesday, February 22, 2017

DAY 33 / FEBRUARY 21: President Donald Trump delivered his first public condemnation of anti-Semitic incidents in the United States after a new spate of bomb threats to Jewish community centers and the vandalism of about 170 headstones in a Jewish cemetery in St. Louis (above).
"The anti-Semitic threats targeting our Jewish community and community centers are horrible and are painful and a very sad reminder of the work that still must be done to root out hate and prejudice and evil," Trump told reporters.
He was speaking at the end of a tour of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, which Trump said showed "why we have to fight bigotry, intolerance and hatred in all of its very ugly forms."
The comments marked a change for Trump, who had not explicitly and publicly condemned the threats against Jews when asked a week earlier. Instead, he spoke more generally about his hopes of making the nation less "divided."
REUTERS/Tom Gannam

Close

65 / 97

DAY 32 / FEBRUARY 20: President Trump named Lieutenant General Herbert Raymond McMaster as his new national security adviser, choosing a military officer known for speaking his mind and challenging his superiors.
McMaster is a highly regarded...more

Reuters /
Tuesday, February 21, 2017

DAY 32 / FEBRUARY 20: President Trump named Lieutenant General Herbert Raymond McMaster as his new national security adviser, choosing a military officer known for speaking his mind and challenging his superiors.
McMaster is a highly regarded military tactician and strategic thinker, but his selection surprised some observers who wondered how the officer, whose Army career stalled at times for his questioning of authority, would deal with a White House that has not welcomed criticism.
REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Close

66 / 97

DAY 31 / FEBRUARY 19: A day after falsely suggesting there was an immigration-related security incident in Sweden, Trump said his comment was based on a television report he had seen.
Trump, who in his first weeks in office has tried to tighten U.S....more

Reuters /
Sunday, February 19, 2017

DAY 31 / FEBRUARY 19: A day after falsely suggesting there was an immigration-related security incident in Sweden, Trump said his comment was based on a television report he had seen.
Trump, who in his first weeks in office has tried to tighten U.S. borders sharply for national security reasons, told a rally on February 18 that Sweden was having serious problems with immigrants.
"You look at what's happening last night in Sweden," Trump said. "Sweden. Who would believe this? Sweden. They took in large numbers. They're having problems like they never thought possible."
Trump later said he was talking about a Fox News program highlighting allegedly surging crime statistics in Sweden and linking them to rising immigrant numbers, after a record 163,000 asylum seekers arrived in 2015.
Sweden's crime rate has fallen since 2005, official statistics show, even as it has taken in hundreds of thousands of immigrants from war-torn countries like Syria and Iraq.
On February 20, he tweeted: "The FAKE NEWS media is trying to say that large scale immigration in Sweden is working out just beautifully. NOT!"
REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Close

67 / 97

DAY 30 / FEBRUARY 18: President Trump, after a rocky first month in office, returned to the campaign trail to deliver another attack on the media and tout his White House accomplishments in the friendly and familiar atmosphere of a rally with...more

Reuters /
Sunday, February 19, 2017

DAY 30 / FEBRUARY 18: President Trump, after a rocky first month in office, returned to the campaign trail to deliver another attack on the media and tout his White House accomplishments in the friendly and familiar atmosphere of a rally with supporters.
Trump reveled in the crowd and listed promises he had kept, including starting the process of building a wall on the U.S. border with Mexico, deporting "bad people," and pulling the country out of a trade agreement with Asian nations.
"Life is a campaign. Making our country great again is a campaign," he told reporters on Air Force One ahead of the rally, when asked about criticism that he was starting to campaign already.
The rally marks an especially early start to the 2020 race for the White House. Trump filed re-election papers with the Federal Election Commission five hours after he was sworn in as president on Jan. 20. He does not have an opponent or even a field of Democrats yet vying to run for their party's presidential nomination.
REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Close

68 / 97

DAY 29 / FEBRUARY 17: Republican Senator John McCain broke with the reassuring message that U.S. officials have sought to convey on their debut trip to Europe, saying that the administration of President Donald Trump was in "disarray".
McCain, a...more

Reuters /
Wednesday, February 15, 2017

DAY 29 / FEBRUARY 17: Republican Senator John McCain broke with the reassuring message that U.S. officials have sought to convey on their debut trip to Europe, saying that the administration of President Donald Trump was in "disarray".
McCain, a known Trump critic, told the Munich Security Conference that the resignation of the new president's security adviser Michael Flynn over his contacts with Russia reflected deep problems in Washington.
"I think that the Flynn issue obviously is something that shows that in many respects this administration is in disarray and they've got a lot of work to do," said McCain, even as he praised Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.
"The president, I think, makes statements (and) on other occasions contradicts himself. So we've learned to watch what the president does as opposed to what he says," he said.
REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

Close

69 / 97

DAY 28 / FEBRUARY 16: On a day when he ceded a loss over a signature policy in a federal appeals court, had to replace his labor secretary pick and faced questions over the resignation of his national security adviser, Trump chose to make the media a...more

Reuters /
Friday, February 17, 2017

DAY 28 / FEBRUARY 16: On a day when he ceded a loss over a signature policy in a federal appeals court, had to replace his labor secretary pick and faced questions over the resignation of his national security adviser, Trump chose to make the media a central focus of an unusually long and combative presidential news conference.
The president's criticism of the media went from barbed to personal in a cutting assessment of what he viewed as unfair coverage of his first few weeks in office.
He accused reporters of ignoring a poll showing him with a 55 percent approval rating - a figure at odds with most other surveys.
When asked by journalists of contacts between his presidential campaign and Russian operatives, he deflected the questions and put the focus instead on what he described as "illegal" government leaks and "dishonest" media coverage.
"The press is out of control," he said. "The level of dishonesty is out of control."
After weeks of disclosures in newspapers over turmoil in his administration, he told one reporter to "sit down" for a rambling question.
"Tomorrow, they will say: 'Donald Trump rants and raves at the press,'" Trump said. "I'm not ranting and raving. I'm just telling you. You know, you're dishonest people. But I'm not ranting and raving. I love this. I'm having a good time doing it."
REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Close

70 / 97

DAY 27 / FEBRUARY 15: In a blow to President Donald Trump as he tries to assemble his administration, his nominee for labor secretary, Andrew Puzder, withdrew his name from consideration amid concerns that he could not garner enough Senate votes to...more

Reuters /
Sunday, November 20, 2016

DAY 27 / FEBRUARY 15: In a blow to President Donald Trump as he tries to assemble his administration, his nominee for labor secretary, Andrew Puzder, withdrew his name from consideration amid concerns that he could not garner enough Senate votes to be confirmed.
Puzder, the chief executive officer of CKE Restaurants, which franchises fast-food chains including Hardee's and Carl's Jr, has been at the center of a swirl of controversies, complaints and potential conflicts.
He admitted earlier this month that he and his wife had employed an undocumented person as a housekeeper. He faced a flurry of complaints and legal cases brought in recent weeks and months by workers against his business and its franchises. Most recently, a decades-old Oprah Winfrey tape raising allegations of domestic abuse by his ex-wife resurfaced, though those allegations had been withdrawn.
REUTERS/Mike Segar

Close

71 / 97

DAY 26 / FEBRUARY 14: President Donald Trump knew for weeks that national security adviser Michael Flynn had misled the White House about his contacts with Russia but did not immediately force him out, an administration spokesman said.
Trump was...more

Reuters /
Tuesday, February 14, 2017

DAY 26 / FEBRUARY 14: President Donald Trump knew for weeks that national security adviser Michael Flynn had misled the White House about his contacts with Russia but did not immediately force him out, an administration spokesman said.
Trump was informed in late January that Flynn had not told Vice President Mike Pence the whole truth about conversations he had with Russia's ambassador to the United States before Trump took office, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said.
Flynn quit on February 13 after Trump lost trust in him and asked for his resignation, Spicer said. "The issue pure and simple came down to a matter of trust," Spicer told reporters.
Lawmakers, including some leading Republicans, called for a deeper inquiry into not just Flynn's actions but broader White House ties to Russia. Trump has long said that he would like improved relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERS

Close

72 / 97

DAY 25 / FEBRUARY 13: President Donald Trump said the United States would be "tweaking" its trade relationship with Canada, stopping short of calling for a major realignment in a development likely to please visiting Canadian Prime Minister Justin...more

Reuters /
Monday, February 13, 2017

DAY 25 / FEBRUARY 13: President Donald Trump said the United States would be "tweaking" its trade relationship with Canada, stopping short of calling for a major realignment in a development likely to please visiting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Trump has pledged to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) linking the economies of the United States, Mexico and Canada to make the terms more favorable to Americans.
At a joint news conference after talks, Trump said his biggest concern with NAFTA was the U.S. trade relationship with Mexico, which he has frequently accused of stealing American jobs.
"We have a very outstanding trade relationship with Canada. We'll be tweaking it," Trump said. "It's a much less severe situation than what's taking place on the southern border. On the southern border, for many, many years the transaction was not fair to the United States," he said.
Trump said the United States and Canada were stronger when they joined forces in matters of international commerce, and both countries benefited from having more jobs and trade in North America.
REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Close

73 / 97

DAY 24 / FEBRUARY 12: President Donald Trump evaluated national security adviser Michael Flynn over his Russian contacts, spokesman Sean Spicer said, pointedly declining to make a public show of support for his embattled aide.
Flynn had told Vice...more

Reuters /
Tuesday, February 14, 2017

DAY 24 / FEBRUARY 12: President Donald Trump evaluated national security adviser Michael Flynn over his Russian contacts, spokesman Sean Spicer said, pointedly declining to make a public show of support for his embattled aide.
Flynn had told Vice President Mike Pence he had not discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia with Russian officials in the weeks before Trump took office, prompting Pence to defend him in subsequent television interviews.
In recent days Flynn has acknowledged he might have discussed sanctions with the Russians but could not remember with 100 percent certainty, which officials said had upset Pence, who felt he had been misled.
Officials said Flynn has apologized to Pence twice, including in person on Friday.
The White House statement, arranged during a meeting between Trump, White House chief of staff Reince Priebus and Spicer, suggested that the review into Flynn's activities stretched beyond the conversations he had with Russian officials.
Some news reports have focused on accusations that there has been dysfunction in the operation of the National Security Council with Flynn at the helm.
Top White House officials have been reviewing Flynn's contacts with the Russians and whether he discussed the possibility of lifting U.S. sanctions on Russia once Trump took office. That would potentially be in violation of a law banning private citizens from engaging in foreign policy, known as the Logan Act.
There was no indication from transcripts of Flynn's conversations that he had promised to lift the sanctions but rather that he made more general comments about hoping for better U.S.-Russian relations with Trump, a U.S. official said.
REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Close

74 / 97

DAY 23 / FEBRUARY 11: President Donald Trump said he would deal with North Korea "very strongly," after that country said it successfully test-fired a new type of medium- to long-range ballistic missile. "Obviously North Korea is a big, big problem...more

Reuters /
Monday, February 13, 2017

DAY 23 / FEBRUARY 11: President Donald Trump said he would deal with North Korea "very strongly," after that country said it successfully test-fired a new type of medium- to long-range ballistic missile. "Obviously North Korea is a big, big problem and we will deal with that very strongly," said Trump. The U.S. leader did not detail how he would respond to North Korea's actions.
North Korea claimed advances in a weapons program it is pursuing in violation of U.N. resolutions. The missile launch was the first probe of Trump's vow to get tough on an isolated regime that tested nuclear devices and ballistic missiles last year at an unprecedented rate.
The North's state-run KCNA news agency said leader Kim Jong Un supervised the test of the Pukguksong-2, a new type of strategic weapon capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
KCNA/Handout via Reuters

Close

75 / 97

DAY 22 / FEBRUARY 10: With a hug and a handshake, President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe opened a new chapter in U.S.-Japan relations.
At a joint news conference with Abe, Trump avoided repeating harsh campaign rhetoric that...more

Reuters /
Friday, February 10, 2017

DAY 22 / FEBRUARY 10: With a hug and a handshake, President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe opened a new chapter in U.S.-Japan relations.
At a joint news conference with Abe, Trump avoided repeating harsh campaign rhetoric that accused Japan of taking advantage of U.S. security aid and stealing American jobs.
It was a welcome affirmation for Japan in the face of challenges such as China's maritime expansion and North Korea's nuclear and missile development.
A joint U.S.-Japanese statement said the U.S. commitment to defend Japan through nuclear and conventional military capabilities is unwavering.
The statement amounted to a victory for Abe, who came to Washington wanting to develop a sense of trust and friendship with the new U.S. president and send a message that the decades-old alliance is unshakeable.
REUTERS/Jim Bourg

Close

76 / 97

DAY 21 / FEBRUARY 9: President Donald Trump suffered a legal blow when a federal appeals court refused to reinstate a temporary travel ban he had ordered on people from seven Muslim-majority countries.
A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit...more

Reuters /
Tuesday, February 07, 2017

DAY 21 / FEBRUARY 9: President Donald Trump suffered a legal blow when a federal appeals court refused to reinstate a temporary travel ban he had ordered on people from seven Muslim-majority countries.
A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled that the Trump administration failed to offer any evidence that national security concerns justified immediately restoring the ban, which he launched two weeks earlier.
Shortly after the court issued its 29-page ruling, Trump tweeted: "SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!" He told reporters his administration ultimately would win the case and dismissed the ruling as "political."
The 9th Circuit ruling, upholding last Friday's decision by U.S. District Judge James Robart, does not resolve the lawsuit. It relates only to whether to lift an emergency halt to Trump's order put in place by a lower court. The judges said more briefing would be needed to decide the actual fate of Trump's order.
REUTERS/David Ryder

Close

77 / 97

DAY 20 / FEBRUARY 8: President Donald Trump criticized Nordstrom for what he said was its unfair treatment of his daughter Ivanka after its decision to not purchase her clothing line for this upcoming season.
"My daughter Ivanka has been treated so...more

Reuters /
Friday, February 03, 2017

DAY 20 / FEBRUARY 8: President Donald Trump criticized Nordstrom for what he said was its unfair treatment of his daughter Ivanka after its decision to not purchase her clothing line for this upcoming season.
"My daughter Ivanka has been treated so unfairly by @Nordstrom. She is a great person -- always pushing me to do the right thing! Terrible!," Trump said on Twitter.
In a statement a week earlier, Nordstrom said it routinely cuts brands each year and that the decision to pass on the Ivanka Trump brand had been based on its performance. Nordstrom is one of many retailers targeted by the #grabyourwallet campaign that urges consumers to shun businesses associated with the Trump family.
Since winning the election, Trump has targeted specific companies on Twitter. But this is his first tweet criticizing a business tied to his family since the victory.
REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Close

78 / 97

DAY 19 / FEBRUARY 7: Vice President Mike Pence was called in to break a Senate vote tie that threatened to defeat the confirmation of billionaire Betsy DeVos as education secretary.
The vote, which Senate officials said was unprecedented to confirm...more

Reuters /
Wednesday, February 08, 2017

DAY 19 / FEBRUARY 7: Vice President Mike Pence was called in to break a Senate vote tie that threatened to defeat the confirmation of billionaire Betsy DeVos as education secretary.
The vote, which Senate officials said was unprecedented to confirm a Cabinet nominee, followed an all-night debate on DeVos as Senate Democrats tried to pressure at least one more Republican to oppose her and defeat the nomination.
Under the Constitution, the vice president also serves as president of the Senate, with the power to cast votes only when there are ties on nominations or legislation.
REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Close

79 / 97

DAY 18 / FEBRUARY 6: Trump accused the news media of ignoring attacks by Islamist militants in Europe. He did not specify which attacks were going unreported, which news media organizations were ignoring them, or offer any details to support his...more

Reuters /
Tuesday, February 07, 2017

DAY 18 / FEBRUARY 6: Trump accused the news media of ignoring attacks by Islamist militants in Europe. He did not specify which attacks were going unreported, which news media organizations were ignoring them, or offer any details to support his claims. "All over Europe, it's happening. It's gotten to a point where it's not even being reported," he said. The White House later released a list of 78 attacks around the world from September 2014 to December 2016. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Close

80 / 97

DAY 17 / FEBRUARY 5: Donald Trump continues to defend Vladimir Putin. In his pre-Super Bowl interview with Bill O'Reilly, the U.S. president dismissed the Fox News host's description of the Russian president as a "killer." "There are a lot of...more

Reuters /
Thursday, January 19, 2017

DAY 17 / FEBRUARY 5: Donald Trump continues to defend Vladimir Putin. In his pre-Super Bowl interview with Bill O'Reilly, the U.S. president dismissed the Fox News host's description of the Russian president as a "killer." "There are a lot of killers," said Trump. "What do you think? Our country's so innocent?" Some Republicans are trying to distance themselves from Trump's comparison with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio tweeting "We are not the same as Putin." Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERS

Close

81 / 97

DAY 16 / FEBRUARY 4: Tensions between Tehran and Washington have risen since a recent Iranian ballistic missile test which prompted President Donald Trump's administration to impose sanctions on individuals and entities linked to the Revolutionary...more

Reuters /
Wednesday, March 09, 2016

DAY 16 / FEBRUARY 4: Tensions between Tehran and Washington have risen since a recent Iranian ballistic missile test which prompted President Donald Trump's administration to impose sanctions on individuals and entities linked to the Revolutionary Guards. Trump's national security adviser Michael Flynn said the Washington was putting Iran on notice over its "destabilizing activity", and Trump tweeted Tehran was "playing with fire". "We are working day and night to protect Iran's security," head of Revolutionary Guards' aerospace unit, Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency. "If we see smallest misstep from the enemies, our roaring missiles will fall on their heads," he added.
REUTERS/Mahmood Hosseini/TIMA

Close

82 / 97

DAY 15 / FEBRUARY 3: A federal judge in Seattle put a nationwide block on President Donald Trump's week-old executive order temporarily barring refugees and nationals from seven countries from entering the United States. Trump reacted with attacks...more

Reuters /
Saturday, February 04, 2017

DAY 15 / FEBRUARY 3: A federal judge in Seattle put a nationwide block on President Donald Trump's week-old executive order temporarily barring refugees and nationals from seven countries from entering the United States. Trump reacted with attacks calling Judge James Robart a "so-called judge" whose "ridiculous" opinion "essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country." The Trump administration's request for an immediate stay of the federal judge's temporary restraining was denied by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco over the weekend. On Sunday, Trump broadened his Twitter attacks to include the "court system." "Just cannot believe a judge would put our country in such peril," Trump tweeted on Sunday. "If something happens blame him and court system." REUTERS/Brian Snyder

Close

83 / 97

DAY 14 / FEBRUARY 2: Ties with ally Australia were strained over a reported acrimonious phone call between President Trump and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Trump described an existing resettlement plan as "dumb" and "the worst deal ever," the...more

Reuters /
Sunday, January 29, 2017

DAY 14 / FEBRUARY 2: Ties with ally Australia were strained over a reported acrimonious phone call between President Trump and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Trump described an existing resettlement plan as "dumb" and "the worst deal ever," the Washington Post reported, and accused Australia of trying to export the "next Boston bombers." The call had reportedly been scheduled to last an hour but Trump cut it short after 25 minutes.
REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Close

84 / 97

DAY 13 / FEBRUARY 1: President Donald Trump met with Wayne LaPierre (R), executive vice president of the National Rifle Association and Paula White (L) from the New Christian Destiny Center regarding the Supreme Court nomination of Neil Gorsuch....more

Reuters /
Wednesday, February 01, 2017

DAY 13 / FEBRUARY 1: President Donald Trump met with Wayne LaPierre (R), executive vice president of the National Rifle Association and Paula White (L) from the New Christian Destiny Center regarding the Supreme Court nomination of Neil Gorsuch. Trump later urged Senate Republicans to "go nuclear" and impose a rule change to force a simple majority vote on confirmation if Democrats block his nominee.
Trump's fellow Republicans control the Senate 52-48. Democrats signalled they would set up a procedural hurdle, known as a filibuster, requiring 60 votes, rather than a simple majority, to move towards confirmation of Gorsuch.
The president urged McConnell to change long-standing Senate rules to eliminate the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees, a move dubbed the "nuclear option," if Democrats block Gorsuch.
Trump's comments came as Democrats plotted strategy on how to deal with Gorsuch's nomination. They remain furious over McConnell's refusal last year to let the Senate hold confirmation hearings or a vote on President Barack Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland to succeed Scalia on the court.
Some Democratic senators, arguing that Republicans stole a Supreme Court seat from Obama, announced their opposition to Gorsuch, while others said they were willing to hear him out.
REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Close

85 / 97

DAY 12 / JANUARY 31: President Trump nominates Neil Gorsuch for a lifetime job on the U.S. Supreme Court, picking the 49-year-old federal appeals court judge to restore the court's conservative majority and help shape rulings on divisive issues such...more

Reuters /
Wednesday, February 01, 2017

DAY 12 / JANUARY 31: President Trump nominates Neil Gorsuch for a lifetime job on the U.S. Supreme Court, picking the 49-year-old federal appeals court judge to restore the court's conservative majority and help shape rulings on divisive issues such as abortion, gun control, the death penalty and religious rights. Gorsuch is considered a conservative intellectual, known for backing religious rights, and is seen as very much in the mold of Scalia, a leading conservative voice on the court for decades.
REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Close

86 / 97

DAY 11 / JANUARY 30: President Trump signed an order that will seek to dramatically reduce federal regulations, but the policy will not apply to most of the financial reform rules introduced by the Obama administration. Trump's latest executive...more

Reuters /
Monday, January 30, 2017

DAY 11 / JANUARY 30: President Trump signed an order that will seek to dramatically reduce federal regulations, but the policy will not apply to most of the financial reform rules introduced by the Obama administration. Trump's latest executive action will require that agencies cut two existing regulations for every new rule introduced and it will set an annual cap on the cost of new regulations.
REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Close

87 / 97

DAY 10 / JANUARY 29: President Trump fought back amid growing international criticism, outrage from civil rights activists and legal challenges over his abrupt order for a halt on arrivals of refugees and people from seven Muslim-majority...more

Reuters /
Monday, January 30, 2017

DAY 10 / JANUARY 29: President Trump fought back amid growing international criticism, outrage from civil rights activists and legal challenges over his abrupt order for a halt on arrivals of refugees and people from seven Muslim-majority countries.
He and senior aides sought to defend the policy and play down the chaos sparked by the order. But confusion persisted over details of implementation, in particular for green card holders who are legal residents of the United States.
Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said that people from the seven countries with green cards would not be blocked from returning to the United States from overseas, as some had been after the directive.
U.S. judges in at least five states blocked federal authorities from enforcing President Trump's executive order.
REUTERS/Laura Buckman

Close

88 / 97

DAY 9 / JANUARY 28: In his first call as president with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Trump denounced a treaty that caps U.S. and Russian deployment of nuclear warheads as a bad deal for the United States, according to two U.S. officials and one...more

Reuters /
Sunday, January 29, 2017

DAY 9 / JANUARY 28: In his first call as president with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Trump denounced a treaty that caps U.S. and Russian deployment of nuclear warheads as a bad deal for the United States, according to two U.S. officials and one former U.S. official with knowledge of the call.
When Putin raised the possibility of extending the 2010 treaty, known as New START, Trump paused to ask his aides in an aside what the treaty was, these sources said.
Trump then told Putin the treaty was one of several bad deals negotiated by the Obama administration, saying that New START favored Russia. Trump also talked about his own popularity, the sources said.
The White House declined to comment. It referred Reuters to the official White House account issued after the Jan. 28 call, which did not mention the discussion about New START.
REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Close

89 / 97

DAY 8 / JANUARY 27: Trump's order to restrict people from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States sparked confusion and anger after immigrants and refugees were kept off flights and left stranded in airports.
In his most...more

Reuters /
Saturday, January 28, 2017

DAY 8 / JANUARY 27: Trump's order to restrict people from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States sparked confusion and anger after immigrants and refugees were kept off flights and left stranded in airports.
In his most sweeping decision since taking office a week ago, Trump put a four-month hold on allowing refugees into the United States and temporarily barred travelers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
Capping a day of confusion and chaos and protests in several airports across the country, a federal judge in Brooklyn, New York, granted a temporary reprieve. The American Civil Liberties Union successfully argued for a temporary stay that allowed detained travelers to stay in the United States.
REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Close

90 / 97

DAY 7 / JANUARY 26: Rogue Twitter feeds voicing employee concerns at more than a dozen U.S. government agencies were launched in defiance of what they say are President Trump's attempts to muzzle federal climate change research and other...more

Reuters /
Friday, January 27, 2017

DAY 7 / JANUARY 26: Rogue Twitter feeds voicing employee concerns at more than a dozen U.S. government agencies were launched in defiance of what they say are President Trump's attempts to muzzle federal climate change research and other science.
Representing scientists at the Environmental Protection Agency, NASA and other bureaus, either directly or through friends and supporters, the accounts protest restrictions they view as censorship since Trump took office.
Reuters could not verify that all the accounts, which borrow the names and logos of their respective agencies, were being run by current federal employees of those agencies.
REUTERS/Chris Helgren

Close

91 / 97

DAY 6 / JANUARY 25: President Trump signed directives to build a wall along the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexican border and strip federal funding from "sanctuary" cities that shield illegal immigrants, as he charged ahead with sweeping and divisive plans to...more

Reuters /
Thursday, January 26, 2017

DAY 6 / JANUARY 25: President Trump signed directives to build a wall along the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexican border and strip federal funding from "sanctuary" cities that shield illegal immigrants, as he charged ahead with sweeping and divisive plans to transform how the United States deals with immigration and national security.
"We are in the middle of a crisis on our southern border: The unprecedented surge of illegal migrants from Central American is harming both Mexico and the United States," Trump said in remarks at the Department of Homeland of Security after signing the directives.
"And I believe the steps we will take starting right now will improve the safety in both of our countries," Trump said, adding: "A nation without borders is not a nation."
His plans prompted an immediate outcry from immigrant advocates and others who said Trump was jeopardizing the rights and freedoms of millions of people while treating Mexico as an enemy, not an ally.
A day later, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto scrapped plans to meet with Trump after Trump tweeted Mexico should cancel the meeting if it was not prepared to pay for his proposed border wall.
REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez

Close

92 / 97

DAY 5 / JANUARY 24: President Trump signed two executive orders to move forward with construction of the controversial Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines, rolling back key Obama administration environmental actions in favor of expanding...more

Reuters /
Wednesday, January 25, 2017

DAY 5 / JANUARY 24: President Trump signed two executive orders to move forward with construction of the controversial Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines, rolling back key Obama administration environmental actions in favor of expanding energy infrastructure.
While oil producers in Canada and North Dakota are expected to benefit from a quicker route for crude oil to U.S. Gulf Coast refiners, a revival of the projects would mark a bitter defeat for Native American tribes and climate activists, who vowed to fight the decisions through legal action.
Trump campaigned on promises to increase domestic energy production and before taking office indicated he supported completion of the Dakota pipeline and re-starting the $6.1 billion Keystone XL project, which was rejected in 2015 by then-President Barack Obama.
Protesters had rallied for months against plans to route the $3.8 billion Dakota Access Pipeline beneath a lake near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation, saying it threatened water resources and sacred Native American sites.
REUTERS/Terray Sylvester

Close

93 / 97

DAY 4 / JANUARY 23: President Trump signed an executive order for the reinstatement of the Mexico City Policy, a global gag rule that bans U.S.-funded groups around the world from discussing abortion, a move that was widely expected but nonetheless...more

Reuters /
Friday, January 27, 2017

DAY 4 / JANUARY 23: President Trump signed an executive order for the reinstatement of the Mexico City Policy, a global gag rule that bans U.S.-funded groups around the world from discussing abortion, a move that was widely expected but nonetheless dismayed women's rights advocates. The rule, which affects American non-governmental organizations working abroad, is one that incoming presidents have used to signal their positions on abortion rights. It was created under President Ronald Reagan in 1984. Former President Barack Obama had lifted the gag rule in 2009, when he took office.
REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

DAY 3 / JANUARY 22: Asked on NBC's "Meet the Press" why White House press secretary Sean Spicer was uttering provable falsehoods about the inauguration crowd size, White House senior adviser Kellyanne Conway fired back.
"If we are going to keep referring to our press secretary in those types of terms I think that we are going to rethink our relationship here," she said.
Conway responded to criticism that the new administration was focusing on crowds rather than on significant domestic and foreign policy issues by saying: "We feel compelled to go out and clear the air and put alternative facts out there."
Spicer had accused some of the media of engaging in "deliberately false reporting."
"This was the largest audience ever to witness an inauguration, period, both in person and around the globe," Spicer said.
Aerial pictures of the crowds of Trump supporters on the Mall showed a much smaller turnout at midday than that in comparable photos from Obama's first inauguration in 2009. Washington's Metro subway system said 193,000 users had entered the system by 11 a.m. on Trump's Inauguration Day, compared with 513,000 at that time during Obama's 2009 inauguration.
REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Close

95 / 97

DAY 2 / JANUARY 21: Hundreds of thousands of women filled the streets of major American cities to lead an unprecedented wave of international protests against President Donald Trump, mocking and denouncing the new U.S. leader one day after his...more

Reuters /
Sunday, January 22, 2017

DAY 2 / JANUARY 21: Hundreds of thousands of women filled the streets of major American cities to lead an unprecedented wave of international protests against President Donald Trump, mocking and denouncing the new U.S. leader one day after his inauguration.
Women activists, outraged by Trump's campaign rhetoric and behavior they found to be especially misogynistic, spearheaded scores of marches in the United States and sympathy rallies around the world on Saturday.
Organizers said they drew nearly 5 million protesters in all, far surpassing crowd expectations.
The demonstrations also highlighted strong discontent over Trump's comments and policy positions toward a wide range of groups, including Mexican immigrants, Muslims, the disabled and environmentalists.
REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

Close

96 / 97

DAY 1 / JANUARY 20: President Trump took power as the 45th president of the United States and pledged to end what he called an "American carnage" of rusted factories and crime in an inaugural address that was a populist and nationalist rallying cry....more

Reuters /
Friday, January 20, 2017

DAY 1 / JANUARY 20: President Trump took power as the 45th president of the United States and pledged to end what he called an "American carnage" of rusted factories and crime in an inaugural address that was a populist and nationalist rallying cry. Striking a defiant tone, Trump said American workers have been devastated by the outsourcing of jobs abroad. "From this day forward it's going to be only America First," he told thousands of people gathered on the National Mall.
Underscoring the deep divisions in the country, protests against Trump turned ugly in downtown Washington. Black-clad activists smashed store windows, blocked traffic and fought with police in riot gear who responded with tear gas and stun grenades. Police said more than 200 people were arrested.
REUTERS/Brian Snyder

Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world’s largest international multimedia news provider reaching more than one billion people every day. Reuters provides trusted business, financial, national, and international news to professionals via Thomson Reuters desktops, the world's media organizations, and directly to consumers at Reuters.com and via Reuters TV. Learn more about Thomson Reuters products: